#but pulled out after joining toro rosso

[russellsppttemplates]

Never letting you go (Max Verstappen)

There was nothing stopping you and Max now

Note: english is not my first language. This is the first Max big piece to sort of introduce their arc, let me know what you think! ✨️

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!

my masterlist

Tw: mentions Jos forbidding Max and reader of dating, curse words

Tag list: @myloverjk-blog

"What do you mean you're going to the Grand Prix?", you quirked your brow as your friend Cara sipped her coffee, "I thought you said you'd never be caught dead one of those", you chuckled.

"Matthew's company got a bunch of passes because they got a deal with one of the sponsors - I think? - I don't know much about it, all I know is that he brought three home because he thought you'd like to join us", she offered.

You never hid how much you enjoyed watching Formula One, even if watching it, especially in the last couple of years, often brought emotionally heavy memories back.

"That's nice, count me in! What type of passes are they?", you questioned, taking a bite from the cake on your plate.

"I don't know, he was talking all about them and I must admit I zoned out", she admitted, "but he said they were really good! He was very surprised at what the passes had, but his boss is very cheap so I don't know how great they actually are considering the possible comparison", she smiled as you nodded, "count me in, though. It's been a while since I stepped foot on one of them", you recalled.

The last race you attended was when Max was in Formula Three still. The paddock was so big and crowded with so many people, you doubted you'd bump into him. It wouldn't do you any good, would it?

"How did you get hospitality passes?", you gasped as Matthew handed you the lanyard, "they've invested a lot of money so I guess the sponsors didn't mind loosening the belt", he shrugged, putting his own around his neck after scanning it.

"Thank you for this, by the way", you flashed him a smile, "no worries, Y/N, the only way I could convince her to come was if you joined us, and I don't mind actually spending the weekend with someone who also knows a little about the sport", he chuckled as Cara laced her arms with her fiancé, "I'm glad he has you to talk to as well, there's only so much feigned interest I can muster up", she rolled her eyes.

Scuderia Alpha Tauri had been Toro Rosso, but despite the name change, as soon as you walked in, some faces were still familiar from the pictures you got sent from Max on gia first season with them.

"Why did you get interested in Formula One anyway?", Matthew asked you while you sipped on a latte, "I always loved the idea of the cars going very very fast, and then when I actually had the knowledge to understand how they worked, they really intrigued me", you offered, "I also had a friend who was very into it, so he also escalated my interest in it".

"He didn't pull you enough to work on motor sport though?", Matt wondered.

"I didn't enjoy the competitiveness of all of it", you admitted, "it's very strict, and if you want to be successful, it takes the good things away - your family, your friends", you opened your heart to him, thankfully noticing it and sorting the heartfelt confession seemingly about a job, "they travel a lot and they're really competitive that is, I'd never be able to do that for a job", you smiled, hoping you saved yourself from further questions.

"That's why you did mechanical engineering, then?", he asked, "for the most part, yes", you replied, "Oh, they're starting free practice", you smiled, looking over to the track from the balcony seats.

Sophie walked into the RedBull hospitality, looking for her family. Because it was Monaco, they felt safe enough to bring the Lio and Luka to the paddock, knowing they would be close to home in case things didn't go well as planned.

"Grandma!", the oldest boy called her from his spot on his father's lap, his brother sleeping on his mother's chest.

"Hey, my dears", she greeted, "You won't believe who I found on my way here", Sophie began, "I'm surprised Max didn't tell me he invited Y/N. It's a shame she isn't here with us, though", she commented.

The first indicator of surprise should be the way the blond woman looked at her mother, "what do you mean Y/N is here?", she whisper-yelled.

"I just saw her in the Alpha Tauri hospitality, I was walking with Helmut and he was headed there, that's when I noticed her. Max didn't tell you?", she quirked an eyebrow just as her son sat down next to them.

"What didn't I tell who?", Max spoke, setting his plate of food down on the table.

"Why didn't you tell us you invited Y/N for this weekend?", Victoria was the first to scold him, hitting his arm in a sisterly manner, "and in Alpha Tauri of all places? I'm sure they would've bent the rules a little and give you a pass so she could be a RedBull guest!".

Max thought he heard incorrectly. Y/N, his Y/N was in the paddock, in the sister team of the one he now drove for.

"I, I didn't offer her anything", Max said, his brother in-law looking at him weirdly as well, "I don't know how or why she is here, but I had nothing to do with it. We haven't spoken in a while", he mumbled. A while, three years, same thing, he supposes.

"Well, I just saw her. You should go say hi, I'm sure she would love to but she can't exactly find you where she is, it has to be the other way around", Sophie offered.

"What makes you believe she would?", Max questioned, both himself and his mother and sister.

"Because the way you never forgot her, she never forgot you", Victoria sterned, "don't you think she deserves your attention? She was in it for the long run, Max, and maybe she has moved on, maybe even has someone", the thought alone made Max loose his cool, "but she was your friend, the person you trusted most in the world and you let her slip".

"Don't sugar coat it, please", Max sarcastically replied.

"It's true, Max, and you know it", Sophie said, sensing her son didn't want to talk about the topic, but not allowing him to leave the table without a piece of her mind as well.

Max needed to put on his suit again, ready for qualifying, walking along the corridor until he found his door.

"Hey, before you go", Victoria called her brother as he was about to go into his driver's room, "Lio is really fussy, so we're just going back to your place, I'm sorry", she said.

"It's fine, whatever you feel the most comfortable with", he said, waving at his nephews and brother in-law.

"We will be supporting you from home, then", she said, kissing his cheek, "And Max? I know you're not used to it, but follow your heart", she smiled.

"Can I do that now?", he softly bit back, smiling and blushing at his words.

"What's stopping you?", Victoria said as she walked back to her family.

"Who is that?", Jos asked as Max asked him if he could invite you over for dinner before the season began.

The conversations with Toro Rosso were getting serious and the opportunity for a seat in Formula One was right there, up for him to grab if he worked enough.

"She's my friend, you know Y/N", Max tried to reason with his father.

"For this to work, Max, I think you need to distance yourself from home", Jos advised, ignoring his mention of you and carrying on with his lecture, "I'm talking no parties, no trips to come and see friends and family - I really think those are just getting in the way between you and the career you deserve".

The statement was clear, and Max knew better than to question it.

"I've spoken to your mother - she wasn't the biggest fan -, but you really need to focus on this", Jos reiterated, "no friends, much less girlfriends", he chuckled.

The dinner ended up being just Jos, Max and Victoria, the thought of having you there quickly erased in his head.

When Max met up with you before he left for the season, he was antsy. Just a week before, you had stolen innocent kisses from eachother's lips and revelled in the feeling of being in eachother's embrace without a care in the world. And it felt good, so good, like the piece that was missing in Max's life finally completed the puzzle.

"Hey", you greeted, kissing the corner of his lips and allowing him to pull you down to sit on the sofa.

"I spoke to my dad, I'm leaving in a few days", Max said, "there's some testing they want me to do still", he mumbled, lacing your fingers in his.

"And where do we end up?", you asked the million euro question. Truthfully, you entertained the thought. Even though being away from Max for most of the year would be a challenge, the love you felt for him was too big, too great for you to forgo that challenge. You were his and he would be yours.

"It's not going to work, Y/N. I need to focus on racing", he stated blankly despite how much it hurt him to utter those words out to you as the conversation with his father resonated with him.

"Max your focus is getting a Formula One seat", his father sterned, "do you know how hard it is? How much effort and work you have to put in? There can't be any distractions!"

"But Y/N isn't a distraction!", Max reasoned. If anything, you were the one keeping him humble and with both feet on the ground at all times. You cared for him, not because of his racing, who he was or who he could become, but because you loved eachother.

You'd never do anything to ruin his career, Max thought as he worked up the courage to tell you all of it. He couldn't get distracted, not now. He couldn't afford making mistakes because he had a girlfriend back at home waiting on him.

Your understanding, however, wasn't aligned with his expectations. He hoped you'd fight, at least, but you swalled your tears and nodded, "okay, Max. I hope you get your seat, you deserve it so much, I know it will happen".

Max put in on pole, leaving you to smile and snap a picture of the moment, wondering if you'd have the courage to send it to him.

"So, does this mean it's over?", Cara asked, "Because I could do with going home, actually", she nudged.

"Let's go, then!", you smiled, putting your phone in your bag and looking for the way out, ending up following the other guests into the paddock.

"Y/N, dear!", you heard someone call your name, and on cue, you looked for the voice despite the fact that it wad unlikely someone recognised you there.

Sophie didn't age, you thought, as you looked at the source of the voice that called you.

"I'm not going to hold you up, guys, you can go!", you smiled, waving at Matthew and Cara once you assured them you would be fine.

"I'm sorry, Sophie - they're my friends, and he was the one who got the passes from his office", you apologised for leaving her to wait a little for you.

"It's alright, dear. It's been so long since I've seen you", she nudged, "I'm sure Max would love to see you, too!", she jumped straight in.

"Would he, though?", you squinted your eyes.

"He would, Y/N", Sophie said earnestly, "I saw you this morning - at Alpha Tauri -, and he knows you're here", she smiled, "I'm assuming you're watching the race, too. Pay him a visit, okay?", she rubbed your shoulder and left a kiss on your cheek, "He's also my ride home, so I need to go look for him! Bye, Y/N!".

Race day meant rush everywhere, so you got to the paddock just in time before everyone rushed inside, finding the perfect spot to watch the race.

"I need to take this call, one second", you said to Cara, recognising Max's contact on your phone.

"Y/N, hi! I didn't think you'd pick up actually", you could hear the nervousness on his voice, "thanks for the picture, by the way, it was very... nice".

"It's no problem really, I thought it would be a good memory to keep", you smiled, "are you ready for the race? Or do you want me to give you a pep talk?", you chuckled. Back in the day, whenever he didn't feel too confident about a race, you had the power to help him out his head in the right place and bring his winning mentality to light.

"I'm fine, actually", he smiled, "I- I was wondering if you'd like to meet up later", he gulped, "I'd like to talk to you, but it's difficult until the race finishes, and then debriefs and media and all that".

"Sure, text me when you're done then", you stated boldly, "have a good race Max, you know I'm supporting you".

"Even if you're with Alpha Tauri?", he joked.

"I never stopped supporting you, it's not going to be a guest pass that's going to change it", you said as he bid you goodbye, ending the call and finding your friends.

When Max won, you clapped unashamedly as everyone else seemed to join you in your excitement, and after the race celebrations were done with, you waited patiently for the text to get to your phone.

"So you're staying back?", Cara asked, "I am, I'm meeting a friend", you explained. At her curious stare, you furthered, "do you remember the guy I told you about when you tried to set up that double date?", she nodded, "yes, the guy you were friends with, and when you both wanted to take a step forward, he had this big shot as his dream career and his father wouldn't allow him to date anyone", she said as she realized, "my goodness, he's here? Y/N, go for it!", she encouraged, "I know you still have feelings for him, who knows? Maybe this is your chance to reconnect", she rubbed your shoulder.

After you bid goodbye to Cara and Matthew, a text go through to your phone.

From: Max

Mum is waiting for you at the door :)

Approaching the hospitality, you quickly spotted Sophie, "c'mon in, dear! Max wanted me to get you myself, he was afraid no one would ler you in", she chuckled, guiding you through until you were in their dining area.

"Y/N!", Max beamed, setting down the crayons he was drawing with at the table with Luka and walking up to you.

"Hey everyone!", you waved at Victoria, putting a pin the two little boys' curious stares as they looked at you so you could hug Max.

"Congratulations, Max, I knew you could do it", you whispered into his skin, his arms hugging you so tightly against him.

"Thank you, Y/N", he spoke, "I missed you so much, I missed this so much", he squeezed you one more time before allowing you to greet the rest of his family.

"This is Tom, and that's Lio and Luka", Victoria said after she hugged you tighlty, "say hi, guys!", she encouraged as the two little copies of Max waved back at you.

"We're going to head home, it was great seeing you, Y/N!", Sophie announced, "I'm sure we'll see eachother a lot more from now on", Victoria complimented, helping her husband pack up the kids' belongings and toys so they could retire to Max's apartment.

"I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner sometime this week", he jumped straight forward, "I'm having dinner with the team today and then the rest of the grid want to go to the club, so I wouldn't be able to spend that much time with you, and I want to be able to just focus on you", he smiled.

"That's fine by me, I appreciate the thought", you smiled as he led you to one of the tables, asking one of the caffé staff for something to drink for the two of you.

“Listen, I think, I think we found each again for a reason", he began boldly, not sure if this was the way to go after not having spoken to you in a couple of years. Still, it wasn't a lie.

"Define found, considering we've been iving in the same city for nearly a year", you smiled, "although you don't spend much time here anyway, so I guess that's a nice enough excuse", you teased, your foot tapping his shin playfully under the table.

"So, Monaco, hm?", Max started, "I didn't expect you to live here out of all places", he nudged, wanting to know more about your move but afraid he was stepping in vulnerable territory.

"I did it because of my earnings for sure. I've got to save as much as I can on tax on the fortune I make as a female engineer", you sternly said as he looked the most surprised you'd ever seen him, "I'm joking - not all of us move to Monaco so our million euro salaries have better taxes", you teased.

"Why did you do it, then?", he asked, smiling at how familiar it all seemed. Just like old times, he thought.

"The company I work for was the one that needed the tax benefits", you clicked your tongue, "and they wanted people to move here. Only one of my colleagues moved here with her whole family, as they expected, so they ended up calling the ones that weren't attached to anything or anyone in particular, and I was one of them", you shrugged your shoulders, "I moved to a new country with a different language, the only people I knew were my work colleagues, so I had no one to complain about them to, but I make it work - at least I like to think I do", you smiled.

Not attached to anyone, he recalled, humming at your response, "it's not such a bad place to live, right? Granted I don't spend much time year, but still enough to appreciate it", Max spoke.

"How about you, Mr World Champion", you nudged, "how does it feel?".

"Obviously it's great, and everything that I worked for", he added, knowing the underlying topic in the conversation, "I get to drive fast cars and I travel the world, there's not much left for it to be the complete dream", he said, gingerly touching your fingers over the table and accepting your hold when you laced them together.

Conversation was flowing easily until one of the employees told Max that he would have to go and get ready for the dinner, meaning you would have to part ways.

"Does Tuesday work for you? I'm not sure how well I'll be tomorrow", he chuckled, "yes, that's fine by me, just text me the address and the time", you smiled, getting up and kissing his cheek, "have a good time, Max, but be careful with the alcohol, I'd hate to have to pick you up again", you reminded him of the time he got way too drunk and he insisted he would only go home if you came to pick him up.

.

Dinner was great and Max invited you back to his place, hoping you'd be able to talk properly about the elephant in the room in a more private and comfortable place.

"You're struggling there, aren't you? Even with your itty bitty small hands?", Max teased as your pinky just about stretched enough for you to not lose everything by dumping the contents of your bag on the sidewalk.

As you and Max left the restaurant, you fiddled with your wallet in your bag, hoping to keep the card the waiter gave you safe for the next time you wanted to visit the place.

"I do not have itty bitty small hands!", you argued, shaking your bag a little to make sure everything was safely in place.

"We need to have the same starting line - like", you rearranged them so your wrists would be touching. Still, it didn't make much of a difference on your end. It looked like it even highlighted a few more differences, "yours is much bigger, I give up", you giggled.

"See?", Max said as he held your hand out against his, "these are the size of fairy hands! Tinkerbell probably has bigger hands than yours!", he exclaimed as you noticed how much bigger his hand was compared to yours. His fingers were a little bit thicker than yours and his palm covered all of your hand almost completely.

Now or never, Max thought as he laced your fingers in his once you let your arms drop and rest by your side. His thumb rubbed your skin and warmed you up, "was this your plan all along?", you wondered, feeling the bravery around you two and choosing to act on it.

"Lacing my hand in yours or proving to you that my biggest mistake was letting you go all of those years ago?", Max stated as he looked deeply into your eyes.

"We should talk about this inside", you bit your lip, allowing him to guide you through the apartment complex he lived in.

His living room was decorated in classy tones, probably with the help of him mother and sister, as you sat down on the sofa and face eachother.

"I know I apologised at the time, but I'm still sorry, Y/N", Max said, "at the time it was the dream and I didn't have much room for my own decisions. Still, I should've fought", he concluded.

"You didn't blatantly acknowledge it and decided we couldn't be together, Max", you conforted despite the hurt you felt at the time, "it hurt, - like a bitch actually -, but not because you were following your dream. I never wanted to pull you back and get in the way of your achievements", you gulped, "but I would be lying if I said I wouldn't like to give this a go, to give us a chance", you smiled.

"I know I have crazy schedules - I am barely here during the season -, but you were always the one I thought about. When I first raced in F1, when I got my first podium, my first win, my bad races - I wanted you there", he admitted, blue eyes looking into yours, "I can't promise that it will be easy, but I'll never risk you or our relationship, that's non negotiable", he stated.

Moving closer to him, you cupped his cheek with your palm, the slight stubble tickling your skin, "I'm in, Max", you smiled, taking the plunge and kissing his mouth, lips moving in sync as his hands pulled you into his lap.

The blissful moment was interrupted by a meow, Jimmy and Sassy walking into the living room, "Oh, guys", Max held you close to him as the cats sniffled you, "this is Jimmy and Sassy, my cats, took then long enough to leave the guest bedroom", he smiled as you tried to pet them, "cute, they seem nice enough - for cats anyway".

[blerb-f1]

"Let them talk" - 2008!Sebastian Vettel x Engineer!Reader (platonic???)

This one is again based on another Song called "Lasse Reden" (Let them Talk) by Die Ärzte. I really like it so give it a listen if you want to.

Let em run their mouths 

Did you do something that normally no one does?

Are you wearing high heels or even a hat?

Or did you wear too skimpy of a dress,

Without asking your neighbors for permission first?

Sebastian flipped the newspaper open, staring disgruntled at the articles badmouthing him. For some reason, German Media weren't a Fan of him. A young, overly confident upstart they could step on easily is what he was to them. 

Of course, now you'll be treated with contempt

You're a disgrace to the whole neighborhood

You don't even know their names

And they're already running their mouths about you. 

You just stared at the awful stuff they said about him. Just where exactly did they get that stuff from? What made them get those ideas? Were they so miserable in their own boring little lifes? 

You leaned forward, comfortingly holding Sebastian's right hand. 

"They don't know you Seb, that's why they're able to pull shit like this" 

Sebastian looked at another article, eyes scanning the rude words laid in front of him. 

"I know that THEY don't know me. That's why they are so rude. I mean, I've just joined Red Bull properly. Taking over after David Coulthard won't be easy but what do they expect? If Horner wants me to be Driver 1, I have to become Driver 1. That's how the Business works. Bashing Me because they wanted Mark to get the spot is idiotic. It's not like we two have that many choices to make in that regard"

You eyed a smaller article, reading the insults that were hurled at you. Being Sebs' equally young and inexperienced Engineer at Toro Rosso was already pretty special but Christian Horner invited you to follow him to the Main Team. Like a Buy one get one free deal. Pretty nice money and friendship wise but pretty bad gossip wise. 

Let them talk, and don't listen to them

Most people just don't have anything better to do

Let them talk, day and night

Let them talk - they always have, anyway

Apparently, something you didn't know about yourself,was that you were the lover of Helmut Marko and got Sebastian into this position by fucking said old fart on top of the RB03. Interesting. Another, even meaner comment, had implied that somehow Sebastian was a paid driver that got in thanks to Flavio Briatore and you had planned Crashgate. Considering that you were just a little engineer at Toro Rosso, that seemed very outlandish. Furthermore, something about Briatore always irked you the wrong way so there was no way in Hell you'd be caught dead around him. Being the same age as Sebastian, you didn't think that people were taking you as capable of stuff like that. A 21y.o. planning something like Crashgate? And even if you somehow were that big brained, in what manner would Fernando Alonso winning the Race benefit Sebastian? You just shook your head at the brainfarts that managed to get printed. 

You've certainly robbed a bank

How else could you afford your rent?

And you've been banned from the United States

Because you're Osama bin Laden's lover

Seb sighed as he read another news out loud: "Michael Schumacher reveals: Vettel too cocky for his own good. The 7x champion despises being around the moronic Rookie". As he finished reading and slouched back into his seat, you just stared in shock. Michael liked Sebastian. He appreciated him as a driver, a young fresh talent and as a fellow German. He treated him more like a son than anything. He was a better not dad than most of those so-called journalists must have had growing up.  You stood up from your own booth seat, sliding over to Sebs Side, bumping into his side while sending him a Comforting Smile. You both sipped the bad Coffee they served in Hospitality, trying to form fictional race tracks out the stains the mugs left on the table.

Do you shave your women's-beard daily

Or do you have a few corpses buried in your garden?

The neighbors surmised as much

So don't be surprised when the detectives drop by

You pointed at another article. "See this one?". The young man moved his eyes to the next page, gazing upon the article squished between ads for most likely racist books and lawnmowers. "Fernando Alonso actually deceased, replaced by a driver that got plastic surgery."

He chucked at the thought of someone learning to be like Fernando Alonso. Some poor bloke forced to do that bunny dance on top of an F1 Car. How even would one imitate a Driver?  "Imagine getting someone to look like Coulthard? Would they put new bones into that chin?" you joked while pointing at your chin. You then hollowed out your cheeks, stretching your face. "Or imagine someone looking like Mark. Like, how do you initiate that?”

Seb started laughing along with you while pretending to give himself a longer chin:"Sebastian Vettel imitates Michael Schumacher. Has this rookie gone too far?" 

The laughter coming from deep down your stomach was so loud that some of the other people in hospitality turned around, staring at you two. Normally you’d hide away in some empty office, eating your cold food there while racing against Sebastian on your two PSP’s that he won in a raffle.

Let them talk and just don't listen

Most people don't mean anything by it

It's their monotonous life that bothers them

And the day becomes much more interesting when you tell stories

Mark, who'd heard your imitations, while walking in, came over and scooted into the booth you sat in earlier while giving you two a comforting smile. "That's the correct way to deal with those stupid fake news" he stated, while stretching his legs under the table. "They'll always think of something stupid to talk about. What are they supposed to report, if not stupid shit like that? You think normal people buy the headline 'Red Bull Racing' s new Talent Sebastian Vettel is a kind bloke'?" 

Seb seemed to tense next to you for a second before relaxing again." You mean, this will go on forever? "

" Yes", Mark answered bluntly. "That's how it's always been and always will be." 

And they probably don't feel ashamed

They lack discretion

And repeatedly prove: [that] they are petty,

inescapable, xenophobic

"Look at the stuff they write about Lewis Hamilton, for example" he said while smiling sadly. "Your slander is just normal slander, he's getting hate simply because his skin colour isn't on their approval page. Formula 1 features people from all over the world, so they pick the easiest target who could be someone who's from a minority group like Lewis or a young fool like you. Those people can span from idiots to hyenas. You gotta learn how to ignore them and especially, not feed them. Fake articles can be fun for a hot minute but blow up and grow into some massive thing "

Did you hear, and say, did you already know?

That is to say, you earn your money through prostitution

You work the corner by the bus station

The colleague of a brother-in-law saw you the other day

"So my Advice for you two: Don't run with what they say about you in public. Be so kind that it hurts. Y/N, don't mention that Crashgate stuff anywhere. The Brazilians won't be happy with your jokes and the media will spin it like you're actually involved and somehow hate everyone from there. Seb, don't treat Me different just because People hate Christian Horner putting you in this position. That's on them, not you. Just be polite and let your racing do the talking. "

His statements were the whole damn truth, leaving you and Seb too stunned to speak. Mark took this chance to take the newspaper away from you, just to chuck them into the trash bin." Let me resolve those issues for you. Drivers need to look out for one another, don't they? Someone gave me the same advice back then so i’m giving it to you now," Seb nodded in agreement, watching the tall man leave catering while the newspaper quickly got covered by leftover Spaghetti. 

Let them talk, just laugh it off

Most people get their information from Bild*

Which consists of, who knew,

Fear, hate, tits, and the weather report

Let them talk, because this is how it is:

As long as they talk, that's the worst they do

And you can afford a little hypocrisy

Stay polite and say nothing - that annoys them the most.

Seb stared at you for a short second before getting up and holding out his hand towards you like a knight to his princess. 

" Y/N, may I invite my strategic Genius to play an evil round of Gran Turismo 4?"

You grabbed his hand, pretending to flip your skirt. 

"Of course, Mr. Evil. But you take the Mad-Catz Controller" 

Seb stared at you with fake shock. The audacity. The Mad-Catz Controller was reserved for poor younger brothers around the world normally. You lost your other proper one during the move to Red Bull though and this one was the one Horner had gotten you after asking you for a new one.

"How dare you make Christian Horner's secret Love Child take the shitty Controller?" 

You stuck out your tongue towards him. "I'm sorry Sebastian Horner, I think having Helmut Marko, Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone on speed dial makes me the instant winner of the original Controller." 

While Mark had told you to not make fun of that stuff, doing it once or twice won't be too bad, will it? 

*Bild is like a shitty german newspaper with clickbaity titles known to stir hatred, show lots of nudity and general stupidity.  Also yes, i'm having Seb Brainrot rn.

[danthropologie]

I wasn't around but why are people saying its a bad idea for daniel to go back to rbr? They're saying its bc he left bc he didn't want to be a 2nd driver?

this whole fucking narrative is straight up stupid if you ask me, so disclaimer: everything that follows will be coming from that perspective.

brief daniel at rbr synopsis: he was pulled up from toro rosso to join red bull in 2014. he was teammates with seb, who had just come off winning 4 world championships back to back (to back to back), and not only was competitive but BEAT seb in the wdc that year, 3rd to seb's 5th.

fast forward to 2016, they pull up max from toro rosso 5 races into the season. max is literally a child, 18 years old. that very first race max is with the team, daniel out-qualifies him (3rd to max's 4th), but ends up being put on the worse strategy, which leaves daniel in 4th place while max wins. it's obviously massive news because max is the youngest winner ever, it's his first race with the team, and is basically used to prove he's the second coming of christ on wheels. from there, there's just kind of a general feeling and consensus that max is the future of the team.

obviously daniel wants priority, feels like he's earned it, as any driver would, especially when he continues to beat and be neck-and-neck competitive with max over the next few seasons. so when rumors started happening about daniel leaving red bull, the overriding narrative—and the narrative that has lived on since—is that he was running from a fight. he wanted to be number one driver, he didn't want to be number two to max, and red bull wasn't willing to give him that, so he walked.

now what's NOT talked about is the fact that red bull was planning to move to honda engines the next year, and honda's previous foray into f1 had been an abysmal failure with mclaren (2015-2017, so literally had JUST happened too). there was also the fact that simon rennie, his engineer for years upon years, and a few other key people on his team were stepping back or moving to jobs at the factory. it's portrayed as if his move from red bull was because of this One Specific Thing, and yes, maybe that WAS the biggest factor idk, but it wasn't the only factor.

so looking at these rumors now, it seems like there's a tendency for people to boil it down to a very simple "he left because he didn't want to be 2nd driver, now he's coming back to be 3rd driver lmao" or act like because he left over priority disputes, he would nEVER (or should never) ~lower himself going back without guarantee of priority, basically ignoring everything that's happened since and how the situations are COMPLETELY different.

sure, on some level there's a bit of pride swallowing that would need to be done in order to go back to a team that he originally left in hopes of finding bigger and better things, but at the same time, these past few years have been rough. he was brilliant at renault, he had some of his best drives with them and showed he has what it takes to be a champion, but the team and the car were never going to surpass the glass ceiling of the midfield. and despite his win last year and the occasional flashes of brilliance, mclaren overall has been a shitshow, tho obviously not all from his own doing. red bull has really been the only place where the machinery and support they were giving him as a team came close to matching the level of talent and skill he was bringing to the track each week, and if he has a shot at having that back, who wouldn't take it after how awful the past few years have been for him.

and on top of that, there's also personal connections there too. he drove christian to his wedding for god's sake! he spent summer break in 2020 with max! they aren't just coworkers, they're people that genuinely care about him and want to see him succeed. at the end of the day, it's obviously still a sport and a business and depends entirely on the results he'd be able to bring them, but as it stands now, they seem to still see him for what he could (and probably should!) have been as a competitor, rather than just what he can bring them in terms of monetary value

[sourstroll]

Tags: Carlos Sainz/Fernando Alonso, set in 2015, hero worship kind of, unhealthy attachments, jealousy, multiple orgasms, older man/younger man

WC: 3,359

Because I love the idea of Fernando charming all the rookies, I had a thought about him and Carlos!!

Fernando absolutely loving when the younger drivers call him their role model or hero.

The intense love he receives from Carlos when he joins Toro Rosso is almost overwhelming, but Fernando loves getting his ego stroked more than anything.

Carlos doesn’t make an effort to hide his feelings, either.

It’s like having a lost little puppy begging for you to take them home, following you around and insisting upon your greatness. Carlos says it all the time, that he can’t believe he gets to have his hero as a friend and a competitor, always gushes to Fernando about how great he is and how he hopes to have a championship title like he does. Fernando is aware that the last thing he should be doing is indulging Carlos in his very obvious infatuation.

Fernando can pinpoint exactly when the lines started to blur between them. Things started to shift in Germany, when Toro Rosso happened to be in the same hotel as McLaren and Carlos found his way to Fernando’s room during almost all their free time. Fernando was good; he didn’t try to touch or coerce or any of the other things his colleagues would warn him not to do, just listened to Carlos talk and talk about whatever, watched his expressions and excitement as he spoke. He realized after that, that he liked spending time with Carlos, despite how obvious his crush was.

Maybe it was their drunken kiss in Monaco, initiated by Carlos at some random house party. Fernando hadn’t fought it at all, hadn’t tried to push Carlos away or insist he was no good for him. In his intoxicated state, it actually felt nice, Carlos eagerly shoving his tongue into his mouth and not pulling away even for a second. He can still remember the ‘talk’ Lewis and Sebastian had with him the day after. They scolded him for being a perv and implored him not to start any morally dubious relationships with rookies. Fernando knows it would do him some good to heed their warnings, but he was never one to follow the rules, not exactly.

Everything changes at Monza. He wasn’t even sure how Carlos had snuck into the McLaren garage, undetected, only an hour before lights out. Carlos pushed him into his driver room and pressed him up against the door and kissed him without a word, hungry and hot and wet, no elegance to it. Fernando had grabbed onto Carlos’s shoulders and pulled away immediately, but Carlos begged for Fernando to kiss him again, to have his way with him if he wanted. Fernando felt something inside of him twist and turn, changing the most fundamental parts of him, his desire at the forefront now, unshielded by his reservations.

Fernando didn’t fuck him then, he knew it’d be impossible for Carlos to drive afterward. But, he did kiss him back finally and flip them around so it was Carlos pressed against the door. He did in fact push his knee between Carlos’s legs and let him hump his thigh desperately, and he did enjoy watching every minute of Carlos fully giving in to the pleasure. The image of Carlos’s hips stuttering against him as he came in his fireproofs was something Fernando would always hold close to his heart. Fernando’s favorite part was watching Carlos continue to rut down onto Fernando’s thigh until his whole body shook, his legs weak, even after he came, babbling about how he didn’t want it to end.

It’s in Japan, a couple races later, when Carlos gives him no choice but to give in, fully.

Carlos invites himself to Fernando’s hotel and the older man has to say yes. He doesn’t even intend to do anything with him but whine about their days and maybe watch a movie or two, but Carlos has other plans.

“Can we talk, Nando?”

The question comes suddenly and without warning, not even a few minutes since they’d entered the room. Fernando was sitting on the edge of his bed while Carlos was standing before him, blocking his view of the TV he’d been trying to watch. Fernando’s hands turn clammy, not sure whether he should be worried or not about what Carlos wants to say.

“Yeah, of course,” Fernando says sincerely and pats the spot beside him, watching Carlos with furrowed brows as he sat down. He can’t help but notice how distraught he looks, how his eyes almost glisten with emotion.

“I know we’re not together, I shouldn’t even care about this, but-“ Carlos starts, a bit sad and frantic with his words. “Max told me you took him out to lunch a few days ago. You didn’t even tell me,” Carlos huffs, wincing as if he’d actually been cheated on. “I-I just feel like.. I wanted you to just be happy with me. Max is great, I know, and maybe he’s a better driver than me and he’s cuter than me, but I don’t think it’s fair that-“

Fernando had to stop him, he couldn’t let Carlos continue to think that anyone else was as special to him as he was. The older man did it by pressing a soft kiss to his mouth, and he didn’t pull away until he could feel Carlos relax. The realization that Carlos’s feelings were bigger than both of them didn’t make him want to run or hide— the fact had nestled itself in the back of his mind, always there and present and sometimes scary, but it had prepared him sufficiently for Carlos to go and spill his guts to him.

Fernando pulls away and is silent for a few more seconds. “You’re jealous, Chili?” Fernando says endearingly, reaching up to cup the side of Carlos’s unkempt, stubbly face, watching the way it made him short circuit, just one simple touch.

“Well, yeah, because..” Carlos tried to explain, still stuck on the kiss he’d just received, trailing off. Fernando had never made the first move before. “I don’t even know how you feel about me, but I like you so much,” he murmured. “Even if you think I’m just some stupid rookie.”

Fernando didn’t know it went this deep, Carlos’s devotion. He had never considered himself someone who was easy to love or someone who gave out his love to just anyone. Hearing Carlos be open and honest was new to him, yet welcome. It was a breath of fresh hair, having him be so hopeless about their relationship.

“It was just lunch,” Fernando answered Carlos’s initial concern, raising a brow at the younger boy and dropping his hand to his lap, intertwining his fingers with his. “You don’t have to fight anyone for my attention. I promise.”

Carlos truly felt like crying, like the weight on his shoulders had been lifted. “Why don’t you touch me, then?” Carlos sighed. It was much more blunt than he’d normally ever be, but it was something that had been heavy on his mind for quite some time. Fernando was so confusing in that regard, being reluctant to touch him but readily saying he was only seeing Carlos.

Fernando knew that was bound to be one of his talking points, letting out a laugh at how absurd it sounded. “The other drivers watch us, you know that, right?” Fernando countered, still gently holding Carlos’s hand in his own. “When you look at me for too long, when I talk to you instead of them, when you spend all your free time with me. They see that. And they think I’m a pervert,” Fernando smirked.

“You’ve been called worse,” Carlos noted, which got him yet another hearty laugh from Fernando.

“I know. But you’re so young. I don’t want to ruin your chances to explore. I don’t want to tie you down,” Fernando says, serious and quiet.

Carlos feels that familiar, searing frustration start to bubble inside him. Maybe Fernando had a point; Carlos was too young to be deciding that he was in love and that he only wanted one person, but Carlos wasn’t concerned about possibly making a ‘mistake’. What he had with Fernando was not a mistake, he’d never see them that way.

Instead of fighting Fernando further on the issue, Carlos leaned back in and kissed him again, climbing into his lap so he’d finally understand how serious he was about only being his. Carlos pulled away to look down at Fernando, just to stare at the beautiful face he’d fallen so hard for. “When we were together, at Monza, I don’t think you realize how happy you made me. I would’ve skipped the race if you wanted me to,” Carlos admitted.

Fernando isn’t surprised by Carlos’s shameless allegiance to him, hands roaming up and under the younger man’s shirt, feeling his warm skin. “Is that when you figured out that you liked me a lot?” He teased, tone soft. Fernando could read between the lines; it wasn’t a confession of love, more like a restatement of the truth, that Carlos had eyes for him and only him.

Carlos’s face flushed a deep red, nodding wordlessly and kissing him again, selfishly licking into his mouth so he could taste him, the mint of his toothpaste and the lingering taste of his favorite tea, tasting like perfection.

Fernando had Carlos pinned down onto his bed in minutes, making quick work of getting their clothes off so he could finally take what was his. He’d only gotten a taste of how Carlos got when he felt good, the distant memories of suppressed moans and gasps from Monza swirling in his brain. “Que bonito,” Fernando purred as he tugged down Carlos’s boxers, the young driver already half-hard, thick cock bobbing as it sprung out. “Perfecto,” Fernando hummed, his lips gravitating to his neck, licking and biting and speaking sweet nothings into his skin.

Carlos couldn’t believe this was happening, that he was finally going all the way with Fernando. The older man meant everything to him, he was everything he wanted to grow into, he was all that it took to make him feel loved and happy and content. Carlos feels too exposed as Fernando undressed him, but he ignores his anxiety, instead spreads his knees and invites him in, silently begging to be taken. “Tócame,” he breathed, gasping when Fernando complied and wrapped a hand around him, using his precome to make the slide easier.

Fernando only has his boxers on as he starts taking Carlos apart, the slow twist of his wrist making him squirm and keen under him, as if he’d never been touched before. In many ways, he feels the same way about Carlos. He couldn’t see himself wanting to do any of this stuff with anyone else, he simply didn’t do this with anyone else. He just hoped he wasn’t some phase for Carlos, that the reason he wanted him wasn’t his glory, his titles.

Fernando strokes him a few more times before he scooted down the bed, comfortably positioned between Carlos’s tanned thighs. He wasted no time leaning in and taking the head of his cock into his mouth, sucking and lapping at it, being messy about it. He knew he made the right choice to start this way when Carlos squeezed his thighs around his head, one hand tugging at his hair firmly, the other fisting the sheets beneath them.

Carlos didn’t want to admit such an embarrassing thing about himself, but he was so sensitive, it didn’t take much for him to come, especially when this was the only person he’d wanted for several months now. It was too much and not enough, making him crazy yet silencing all his woes at the same time. “Fernando,” he moaned, not daring to look down at him. He knew that one look at the older man and he’d be spilling all over himself. “Please, please.”

Fernando knew Carlos was particularly sensitive. He gathered that from making Carlos come with just his thigh and his kisses. What he was more interested in was how many times he could make him come, how many would it take to have Carlos a blubbering mess beneath him. Fernando supposed that was the good thing about being older, the fact that he had more experience.

“Relax, papi,” Fernando said after pulling off, licking careful, fat stripes up and down his length. “I’ll take care of you,” he assured, pressing a trail of kiss to his hip, then down the inside of his thigh, slipping his tongue down between Carlos’s cheeks to swipe over his entrance, making sure to stroke him with his free hand.

That seemed to do the trick, Carlos relaxing and tensing all at once, letting out a contented squeak. His legs spread even wider and his hips chased the feeling of Fernando eating him out. He’d never had someone do that to him before, and it was quickly becoming his new favorite thing. Fernando’s tongue felt impossibly hot against him, soft and wet, his hole fluttering wildly, clenching around nothing and waiting impatiently to be filled. Fernando’s rough, calloused hands felt like heaven on his cock, slick from his own spit. When Carlos got the courage to look down between his thighs, he was done for—Fernando was looking up at him as he licked him, pretty brown eyes glistening in the dimness of the hotel room. Carlos could almost see the way his jaw moved, not shy about opening him up with just his tongue. Carlos couldn’t even warn Fernando as he came all over himself, thick ropes of come shooting onto his happy trail and all over Fernando’s fist, which was milking him through his orgasm.

Fernando felt blessed to be able to see Carlos in action, making him feel so good that he couldn’t last more than a couple of minutes. “Good boy,” he praised as he emerged from between his thighs, moving his hand in agonizingly slow strokes and leaning down to lap up the mess he’d made. Fernando made sure to lick him clean, letting go of his cock in favor of leaning up and kissing him harshly, wanting Carlos to taste himself.

Carlos mewled into the kiss, dizzy at the taste of his come on Fernando’s tongue. He was still feeling hazy as he felt Fernando’s hands grip his thighs right behind his knees, pushing his legs forward and spreading him apart even more. Carlos could feel his cock stirring back to life just at his lover calling him good, praising him for doing nothing but enjoy himself. “Need you, please,” he pleaded, trying not to come yet again at the sight of Fernando spitting in his hand, stroking his own cock to get himself lubed up. Everything about the older man made Carlos’s heart race, even the simplest habits and details.

“What if I break you?” Fernando asked teasingly, rubbing the head of his cock over Carlos’s waiting entrance, twitching against him.

“Ruin me,” Carlos insisted, letting his head rest back against the pillows, eyes squeezed shut in anticipation.

That was all the confirmation Fernando needed, slowly pushing forward and slipping into Carlos’s soft heat. He was tight, so tight that Fernando briefly wondered if he’d ever done this before. He was easily distracted by the way Carlos seemed to suck him in, like he’d die if he didn’t bottom out soon. Fernando struggled to keep his breath even, nails digging into the younger boy’s skin.

Carlos was inconsolable, letting out sweet cries at how perfect he felt, completely stretched and full. “Nando,” he groaned. “Big, really big,” he babbled, locking eyes with Fernando again, prompting another kiss between them. “Do it, fuck me,” he purred, forehead pressed against Fernando’s.

Fernando knew he couldn’t be so careless, he had to start with a little more eloquence. “Like this?” He asked and drew his hips back, starting up a steady, down-tempo rhythm, making sure Carlos could feel every inch.

Carlos nearly went cross-eyed at the sheer amount of pleasure he felt just from the glide of his cock in and out of him, never mind the absolutely intoxicating feeling of Fernando rubbing his sweet spot, his legs shaking in his hands. “God-“ he whined, arching up into him and going to cover his face with his hands, knowing what was about to happen. His own lack of self-control on display once more. He knew he must’ve been red and hot to the touch, too embarrassed to let Fernando see him like this.

Fernando was wholeheartedly taken by how shy Carlos still was, even while he was balls deep inside of him. It was endearing, something Fernando admired about his favorite little rookie. “Do it,” Fernando murmured, mimicking Carlos’s earlier words, encouraging him to let go and not feel bad about it. “For me, mi tesoro.”

Carlos came between them with a whimper, moving his hands to grip Fernando’s shoulders, exhaling breathy, broken moans into his ear as he wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him down, needing the close contact.

Fernando didn’t mind the mess between them as he buried his nose in Carlos’s neck, breathing in the heady, musky scent of his cologne mixing with his sweat, thrusting faster and harder into his boy. It felt more intimate than Fernando had ever expected, the two of them wordlessly moving together, graceful, like they were meant to fit exactly like this, only soft noises and breaths between them. He let go of Carlos’s legs and felt him wrap them around his waist, no space left between them. Fernando rutted into Carlos with a sense of urgency, chasing the euphoric feeling of being squeezed like a vice. Their skin slapped together rhythmically, filling the room and joining the symphony of their moans. Usually, Fernando didn’t struggle to last, but it was difficult to keep his cool when Carlos was all olive skin, long lashes, saccharine moans that turned breathy as his pace increased, the perfect storm for a timely demise.

Fernando came with a low groan against Carlos’s neck, filling him up to the brim with his seed. He could feel the way Carlos squeezed around him when he came, his legs getting tighter around him. Fernando loved that Carlos was desperate to keep it all inside.

Carlos couldn’t bear to let go just yet, barely through the afterglow and needing Fernando to stay stuck against him, just like he had been to the older man through their whole relationship. “No more dates with my teammates. Or yours. Or anyone,” Carlos said, feigning seriousness, but still heaving for his breath.

Fernando mustered up a weak chuckle and kissed anywhere he could reach, his shoulders and collarbones, until Carlos’s grip had loosened up enough for him to press another one to his lips. “Okay, mi amor,” Fernando agreed easily. “But, I might have to take Max out again if I get to have you like this.”

Carlos relaxed into the bed, staring up at Fernando with wonder and adoration in his eyes, one hand mindlessly playing with the hair at the nape of the older man’s neck. “I already told him to stay away from you,” he admitted, looking coy, like he knew that it was maybe a bit much to say such a thing to someone who had no intention of stealing his idol from him.

“You’re going to get me in trouble, Carlito,” Fernando tisked and looked down between them, placing a tender hand on Carlos’s hip and pulling out, his cock mostly soft now, eyes watching intently how his come dripped out of him.

“You love it,” Carlos laughed, looking even more beautiful than before, limbs splayed out on the bed and sticky with his own fast-drying come.

“I do,” Fernando smirked. He planted one last kiss on Carlos’s cheek, his way to seal their fate before he stood up, wanting to clean Carlos up and make sure he had plenty of rest for their practice session in the morning.

[chasingpegasus]

[imthebadguyyy]

Flower Charms

(Not my gif)

Pairing - Pierre Gasly x Reader (fem!bestfriend!reader)

Fandom - F1

Summary - Pierre has been your best friend since you were nine. A timeline of your relationship.

A/N - some dates and years may be wrong, my apologies. Also i'm obsessed with How To Get Away With Murder and Suits so yeah.

☁︎☇☼♥︎

When you were nine, your dad had taken you to a go kart track in France, to watch his friend's son race. Having previously lived elsewhere, your trip to france with your parents was tremendously exciting, and you had nearly tripped over in your excitement to watch the little boys race their go karts.

Pierre was ten when he first met you, standing with his mum and dad before the race, chatting animatedly to his dad before he caught sight of you with your parents. When his eyes landed on your highly energetic figure, his heart seemed to jump out of his chest. You were the prettiest girl he had ever seen, radiating happiness and joy, a smile so wide present on your face it was a miracle your face didn't crack in two.

After the race, his dad had introduced him to you and your dad, calling the man his old best friend. When Pierre tried to talk to you, you had hidden your face in your dad's shirt, making him laugh. On his way home, he could only think of one thing - her dress had sunflowers.

⑁✧✡︎♡

On your sixteenth birthday, your dad gave in to your wish to go to france for your birthday. In the 6 years that had passed, you and Pierre had become extremely close, meeting each other whenever possible and becoming each others support system whenever the other needed it.

Your birthday was spent with your family, the Gasly's, and some of your friends. It was sweet and simple, and a night you treasured. But the moment you treasured the most was when you opened Pierre's present, to find a pretty sunflower charm, with a handwritten note inside - mon cherie, you've always been bright, shy and beautiful. you wore a sunflower dress the first time we met, and now, tu es mon tournesol. joyeux anniversaire chéri, continue de briller de mille feux.

You had hugged him tight, and let him attach the charm to your bracelet, a tiny spark igniting in your chest, when his hands brushed your wrist and his eyes looked deep into yours.

⑁✧✡︎♡

On Pierre's twenty first birthday, he announced he was joining the Toro Rosso F1 team. You screamed and jumped into his arms, squeezing the life out of him, as he squeezed you right back. You had whispered sweet words of praise into his ears as he stroked your hair, in his little flat, by the fading sunlight.

That year, you accompanied him to two races as you could, wishing you could go to more, but you were also juggling your uni classes in law, and Pierre understood and was incredibly grateful for your support whenever you could. come.

He handed you a little box before he left, in it a pretty daisy charm and a note - ma marguerite, brille de mille feux.

⑁✧✡︎♡

The following year, Pierre was there at your graduation, cheering you on as you accepted your degree, waving at him and your parents, as he looked on with pride.

That night, he took you to a fancy restaraunt, and you two talked till the manager had to very politely tell you they were closing for the night. The both of you had laughed, and then he had booked the both of you a night at a hotel. A few glasses of wine later, he had pressed his lips to your forehead, soft whispers, "je suis si fier de toi ma chérie" whispered into your ears, and before you knew it, his soft lips were pressed to yours, your hands finding home on his chest, his moving to pull you closer by the waist, a burning flame erupting in your chest as you tried to move even closer, bodies pressed so tightly together, it was like being molded into one.

After breaking apart, he had whispered a soft "i really, really like you" and kissed your forehead. The both of you spent the night cuddling on the bed, gentle touches and soft kisses pressed to each others skin.

But the next morning you rose to empty sheets, and a broken heart, scanning the room for any sign of Pierre, breaking down in tears when you couldn't locate him anywhere, shaky hands reaching for your phone, desperately dialling his number over and over - to no response.

⑁✧✡︎♡

Pierre didn't mean to hurt you, he really didn't. But when he had awoken in the morning, and your body had been pressed right next to his, he had panicked, thinking he had ruined his friendship with you forever, the wine he had consumed clouding his brain, stopping him from thinking straight

He had gotten dressed in a rush and was about to leave the room before he paused, looking over his shoulder at your sleeping form. Tears clouded his vision and he pushed his sunglasses onto his nose, walking out, trying his best to block his memories of your soft, sweet lips on his own.

⑁✧✡︎♡

The life of a junior attorney working at Pearson Hardman consumed every moment of your day from 9-5, and sometimes even longer when your seniors needed you to help with their cases, leaving you with almost no time to think about your next step with Pierre.

On some nights, you were kept awake by the thought of his lips on yours again, the way his hands had pressed into your waist and drawn you close, how he had traced a thin line along your thigh with his pinky, his rings leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. His fingers had twirled loose strands of your hair around em, and his lips had been pressed against your lips, your cheek, your forehead. His fingers had traced down your tummy, and on some nights the thought of him wandering lower kept you awake.

But days turned to weeks, and your phone didn't flash with Pierre's caller ID, shattering your hopes further. You let your job consume you, giving your heart and soul out to your work, doing extra pro bono work with your seniors, rising the ranks fairly quickly because of your skill, devotion and knack.

Before you knew it a year had passed, and you were assigned to work with the senior most attorneys at the firm, Harvey Specter and Annalise Keating, the pair of whom kept you on your feet at all times.

Eventually, you had no time to ponder what could have been, and soon, a year had passed.

⑁✧✡︎♡

(Smut)

It was killing him slowly, leaving you like that. So one night, in 2018, after being promoted to RedBull,he flew to New York to see you.

You came home to your apartment in New York only to find sitting in the lobby - Pierre.

You froze, eyes going wide as he made his way towards you, eyes apologetic and somewhat surprised at the sight of you, taking in the sight of you in your pencil skirt and high heels, the two buttons of your red shirt unbuttoned, and your jacket draped over your arm, your hair in a neat ballet bun, a few loose strands framing your neck. He couldn't deny it, you looked hot.

"Cherie?'

"No"

"Please just let me explain"

"Explain what? Why you left me in a hotel room all by myself? Its not like anything happened apart from a few kisses, so just go. I've moved on. You should too"

As you spoke, Pierre pushed you up against your elevator door, his eyes staring deep into your own, a fierce passion lit within them.

"Don't lie to me. You were hurt, i hurt you, and i hate myself for that. But please, please let me make it up to you. i can make it up to you. Please, just give me a chance, he whispered, forehead leaning on yours, watching as you closed your eyes, a tear threatening to spoil your mascara.

"Shut up and come upstairs" you whispered, pulling him into your lift, gasping when he slammed his lips against yours when the door shut. "Did you like it? When i kissed you?" He asked, stomach churning with the fear that you didn't. "yes" you whispered back, moaning when he trailed his lips to your exposed neck, hands cupping either side of your neck, forcing your head to be upright while he kissed, bit and sucked on the skin of your neck, making you moan above him, your pussy clenching.

As the ding of the elevator signalled that you had reached your floor, the both of you stumbled out, Pierre's lips still attached to your neck, not giving a damn about your neighbours.

With shaky hands, you unlocked your door, dropping your briefcase on the floor, and letting your jacket fall on top of it. Stumbling backwards, you kicked off your heels, immediately becoming shorter than him. All the while, Pierre continued to suck hickeys onto your neck, sucking your pulse point, making you moan again.

Pushing you down onto your couch, he unbuttoned his blue shirt, watching as you fumbled with the buttons on yours, dragging the material off of your body and discarding it on the coffee table.

"Let me make it up to you mon cherie" he mumbled, sinking down to his knees so he was in level with your pussy, spreading your knees apart. The pencil skirt you were wearing did not simplify matters, restricting your movement, so he pushed it up to your hips, breath hitching at the sight of your clothed pussy.

Above him, your chest heaved, breath hitching in anticipation of what was to come. Beneath you, Pierre dragged the thin material of your panties down your leg, inhaling sharply when a string of sticky arousal stretched from your pussy to the material. Leaning forward, he broke the string with his pointer, before licking away your juices, moaning at the sweet tanginess that left him craving more.

Pushing his middle finger into your slit, he groaned at the wetness collecting on his finger, your warm walls clenching on his finger, as he pushed his ring finger in as well, the cold metal of his rings pressing against your walls, a broken moan of "Pierre!" Leaving your lips.

He moved his fingers up and down, before adopting a scissoring motion, making you see stars as he let his thumb press down on your clit. Panting, you let out a "fuck! fuck pierre i- oh shit don't stop!"

Leaning forward, he replaced his thumb with his tongue on your clit. Swishing the bundle of nerves on his tongue, he let his lips enclose around the bud, sucking on your clit, "oh fuck! fuck! fuck dont stop! Oh my god that feels so good oh-" your moans spurring him on as the knot in your tummy tightened, the pleasure intensifying when he grabbed your clit in between his teeth, letting it rest in between his teeth, before flicking it with his tongue.

Oh lord his tongue. It was godly, the way it was making you feel was so good you felt like you were going to pass out. The lewd sounds of his tongue in you echoed in the room, the squelching sound of your pussy sounding like heaven to Pierre's ears.

His fingers continued to move in you, lips still sucking on your clit, tongue buried you. No man had made you feel like this before, no man had put your pleasure before his.

When his nose bumped against your clit, and continued to nudge against it continuously, the knot in your stomach tightened for a second. "Oh my god Pierre i'm gonna cum, im gonna cum oh fuck! I'm gonna cu-" with a moan you released into his mouth, moaning when he groaned against you and licked all of your juices, sucking his fingers into his mouth, eyes rolling back, putting on a show for you.

Panting, you sat back up, looking at Pierre's form, his mouth was glistening with the remnants of your orgasm, fingers shining. His hair was messy from when your thighs had nearly crushed his head. "Am i forgiven yet, mon cherie? I'm so sorry. But please, give me another chance" he mumbled, standing up to sit beside you.

"Okay. Okay. One more chance" you murmured, leaning forward to kiss his lips. "That was an amazing orgasm" you whispered, earning a laugh from Pierre. "Thanks, i try' was his cheeky response, earning a soft punch to his thigh.

He pulled out a small white jewellery box, to reveal a small tulip charm, with another note - même les tulipes se ratatinent à côté de ta beauté mon amour.

⑁✧✡︎♡

Soon after making your relationship official, Pierre needed you during one of the saddest moments of his life - Anthoine's passing.

You had been watching the quali session at home, and had been watching the f2 race when the crash happened. Your heart seemed to stop beating for a second, your gut telling you something had gone horribly wrong.

When they had announced it was Anthoine and Correa, your heart had shattered. You had known Anthoine, having met him a couple times at go kart tracks, pierre's parties and other places. Your heart shattered further for Pierre. He had had a tough few weeks, being dropped to Toro Rosso, and you had done your best to be there for him, but you couldn't get time off of work because you were working for a major supreme court case.

Biting back tears, you had called Pierre, and he had broken down on the phone. You had done all you could, telling him how much you loved him, how proud Anthoine would be of him for doing his best even after being dropped.

It was a vulnerable, emotional moment, a defining one of the both of you.

Three days later, a package arrived for you, in it, a beautiful rose charm, with a note - à ma rose, merci. Je vous aime

⑁✧✡︎♡

Pierre was thriving at Alpha Tauri, to put it simply. Away from the pressure and favouritism at Red Bull, he was bringing very good results week in and week out.

At the same time, you were excelling at your job, earning the respect of both Annalise and Harvey.

Life was good for the both of you.

It was at Christmas at his parents house that you realized just how much you loved him, how much you wanted a family with him. You wanted him to be your forever.

It was around the same time that Pierre realized the same. That christmas was special, with the both of you staying up in his old bedroom, talking into the early hours of Christmas day about your future, gentle kisses and touches, impassioned words and hopeful smiles secretly sealing your relationship forever.

On Christmas morning his niece had awoken the both of you, jumping on Pierre and kissing your cheek as a morning greeting.

His mum and dad had known you for nearly eleven years, and you were practically a part of the family by that time.

Pierre got you a pretty lily charm for one of your presents, adding to your collection, with another note - Je t'ai donné le nom de toutes les fleurs, alors maintenant je dois aussi t'appeler mon lys. je t'aime ma chère. joyeux Noël

Your parents had secretly been hoping the both of you would get together, and when you did, it had caused tremendous excitement.

You couldn't have been happier.

⑁✧✡︎♡

(Smut)

Groaning softly, Pierre snapped his hips against yours again, his pelvic bone rubbing against your clit, making you moan loudly underneath him.

It was your anniversary, and Pierre had whisked you away to Normandy for a romantic weekend. It had been wine, slow dancing, disney movies and sex all weekend, the cycle of happiness drawing you in fully.

On your last night, you had made dinner, with candles, flowers, jazz music, a bottle of pinot noir to complete your night.

One touch had led to another, and another, and the both of you had ended up in the bed, hot lips on hot skin, and after making you cum twice, he had proceeded to make love to you.

Looking deep into your eyes, a hand cupping your cheek softly, before reaching down to intertwine your hands, he continued to snap his hips into you, moaning when you clenched down on him, enclosing him within your warm walls.

"Je t'aime" he whispered, watching as your eyes rolled back when his cock hit that spot deep within, your broken moan of "i love you too" fuelling him, letting one hand rest on your hip, the other still holding yours.

"fuck pierre, right there" you moaned, when he rammed the tip of his cock in the spot that made you feel euphoric repeatedly.

"you look so gorgeous mon coeur" he mumbled, leaning down to bite your neck, softly sucking a hickey onto your neck.

"not as gorgeous as you my love" was your reply, earning a small smile from him, his eyes closing as his orgasm closed in on him, increasing his pace, making your body move along due to the force of his thrusts.

"fuck ma belle, you feel so good oh-" with a groan he released his load into you, leaning down to rub and draw small circles on your clit to help you reach your high as well.

With a broken scream of "oh fuck pierre" you came as well, the feeling of his cum coating your walls making you feel euphoric.

Groaning at the sight of his cum in your pussy, he leaned down to capture your lips in a heated kiss.

"I love you ma vie" he mumbled.

The next morning before you left, you found a little red box on your side of the bed. With a small smile, you picked it up, to find a beautiful lavender charm, with a note again, that read - joyeux anniversaire mon amour. Je suis tellement reconnaissante de t'avoir dans ma vie. tu seras toujours ma fleur.

⑁✧✡︎♡

You had forgotten to use a condom. That's why you were here, four pregnancy tests on your sink, all showing only one result - positive.

You were going to have a baby. You and Pierre were going to have a baby. The thought of it made you happy, sinking down to your knees, as tears of happiness flowed down your cheeks. But a few moments later, fear began to bloom in your tummy.

What if Pierre didn't want a baby? He was a young driver, wouldn't a baby tie him down?

The fear consumed you, and before you knew it you were gasping and sobbing on the floor, anxiety flooding your tummy.

So caught up in your anxiety, you didn't hear the door open, and Pierre walk into the bathroom. The sight of you sobbing on the floor, caught him off guard, and he sank down next to you, pulling you into his arms.

"Mon cherie, whats wrong? Tell me baby, i'm right here. It's all okay, everything's going to be okay" he said. Still crying, you reached for the four pregnancy tests and turned them around for him to see.

"You're pregnant?" The words were a soft whisper, making you sob harder as you nodded your head.

"mon amour c'est la meilleure nouvelle de tous les temps !! je vais être père !" He exclaimed, laughing and kissing your forehead.

"b-but, you're okay with that? Wont a baby hold you back?" You asked, looking into his eyes

"Mon ange, is that why you were crying? Don't be silly, i've always wanted to be a father, and to have a baby with you? A dream come true. Don't cry my love, i'm so happy" he said, pressing his lips to yours again.

"We're gonna be parents" you mumbled against his lips.

"We're going to be parents"

The next day, you found a box with a mini sunflower charm on your dressing table, with a note that read - nous allons avoir un bébé tournesol. je t'aime ma chere.

⑁✧✡︎♡

Bouncing your foot nervously, you squeezed Pierre's hand tightly. The doctor spread the cold gel onto your growing baby bump, making you shiver at the cold.

Squeezing your hand back, Pierre leaned down to kiss your forehead through his mask. Covid had made the both of you quite nervous for the baby's birth, so you were taking extra precautions. He had two weeks off, and you were nearing the date you could hear your baby's heartbeat.

Eyes locked on the monitor, the both of you watched for your baby. After moving around for a bit, a loud thump-thump-thump noise filled the room. "And that's your baby's heartbeat" the doctor said, smiling softly at the both of you. "I'll give you two a moment" she said, excusing herself from the room.

With tears running down your face, you turned to Pierre, "thats our baby, my love"

Pierre hadn't said a word, mouth open in shock, eyes glossy.

"I love them already"

A few days after the appointment, Pierre sent you a little rose charm with a note that read - mère et le bébé doivent correspondre.

⑁✧✡︎♡

Nearly 17 hours after being in labour, you had given birth to a beautiful baby girl - Isabel Charlotte Gasly,

She had her dad's eyes and hair, her mother's nose and lips, and she had already won your whole heart. Pierre had been wrapped around her little finger the moment her loud cries had filled the delivery room.

After your parents, his parents the nurses and doctors had left to give you some time alone, Pierre had wrapped his arm around both his girls, the both of you looking at the baby angel in your arms in awe.

"We made that" you whispered.

"She's beautiful" Pierre replied, pressing a kiss to your forehead. "You did such a good job mon amour, even though you nearly broke my hand"

"Hey! That was very difficult" you said, kissing his cheek. "I know my love, im very proud of you. Can we have another one?" He asked, making you snort.

"Sure, if you're the one pushing the baby out"

The next day, there was a mini lily charm on your hospital table with a note that read - isabel devrait avoir les mêmes charmes que sa belle mère, alors un jour, vous pourrez les porter ensemble. je t'aime ma chère. merci de m'avoir donné une famille.

⑁✧✡︎♡

Isabel had won every single person in Alpha Tauri's heart. They all spoiled the little girl, sending presents with Pierre, Pyry regularly spoiling her.

Pierre had asked you to bring Isabel to the French GP when she was nearly nine months old.

You had dressed her in a beautiful blue dress, with a little jacket Pierre had got her, that had Gasly 10 on the back of it. You had also made her wear the little sunflower charm on a bracelet.

Yuki had greeted you at the hospitality, because Pierre was in a meeting, with a little present for your baby girl. It was a little stuffed toy that had a chain with isabel's name in japanese.

You nearly cried, giving Yuki a hug, and letting him hold isabel for a while.

Pierre eventually came by, engulfing the both of you in a hug, chatting to Yuki for a while with his princess in his arms.

After a while, you left, the three of you, your happy little family.

⑁✧✡︎♡

Three years later, you smiled down at the matching charm bracelets you and Isabel were wearing, as Pierre lifted the WDC trophy into the air, pointing at you, isabel and your baby bump as he did.

Three was going to become four, and Isabel had all the flower charms you did. She was going to be a big sister to a little brother. You had risen to be the topmost lawyer at the firm. Life was good.

Yes, Pierre had taken a while to tell you he loved you. But as he smiled at you, his heart swelled with love and pride. He was home. You, you were his home.

⑁✧✡︎♡

A/N - this idea came to me in a dream. hope you like it : )) feedback is always appreciated!! reminder, these events are fictitious, but hopefully we'll see pierre win one day. thank you for reading. 🤍

[leqclerc]

are they being nice to carlos because of santander?

At this point it's all rumours and speculation. But if you're interested then here's the tea:

Allegedly Ferrari's main goal was to "give" Carlos his first win since around Canada or a little earlier.

While discussing a potential use of team orders during the race in Silverstone, Charles highlighted that he's not trying not influence his result. Again, wildly speculative, but if you put two and two together...

Allegedly there's a game of internal politics being played out at the team to influence power dynamics - this is said to include Sainz Sr and also Ferrari's new sponsor as of this year, a Spanish bank, Santander. Sainz Sr allegedly also tried to influence the internal politics at Toro Rosso while Jr was still a RB junior and Max's teammate. Both fathers were apparently very involved and there was a lot of tension and in-fighting within the team as they both wanted their respective son to be promoted to the Red Bull team. When RB made it apparent that they see more potential in Max and chose him to be the future star, Carlos ended up being 'loaned out' to Renault, and later broke ties with RB and left their academy to go join McLaren. I'm saying apparently here because I've definitely seen mentions of this from people who were fans and following the sport at the time, but I couldn't dig up any concrete quote to back this up. All I could find was that things got pretty heated between Carlos and Max at the time and there were accusations of favouritism. Make of that what you will. Ironically, I found one article that outlines an incident between the two during one race where Max was faster and asked for a chance to swap positions so that he could challenge a driver from a rival team, but Carlos was dragging his feet. There's an interesting article from 2018 that retrospectively looks at their time as teammates at TR.

Santander is one of Ferrari's main sponsors alongside the likes of Snapdragon and Shell. So, there's likely big money involved.

This comment under Ferrari's IG post from Sunday after the race.

Admittedly I wasn't following the sport at the time so the best I can do is pull up secondary sources and do research, but allegedly a similar situation already played out around 2008 - also involving a Spanish driver at Ferrari and...you guessed it, Santander. I'm guessing some people remember that and are drawing parallels which only adds fuel to the fire. You can read about it here (fair warning, it's a long read). Here's a quote: In short, Kimi was in the wrong team, at the wrong time stuck between Ferrari and future sponsor Santander, because he had the wrong nationality relative to Santander’s business plans, and Ferrari’s role within. While I personally don’t believe it goes that deep in this case, with Charles, it’s not implausible that Ferrari may have been under pressure to deliver a win from a Spanish driver to please the big important Spanish sponsor. Then there’s also Ferrari’s hesitation to draw clear lines and sticking to a seemingly equal treatment policy at all costs, even if it’s detrimental to their title hopes...

[race-week]

hi al! what caused williams to perform so badly in the last few years? what went wrong exactly?

Hi anon.

This is a fantastic question and not really one that can be answered quickly, so grab on.

What caused Williams' fall from grace?

I mean firstly there's not really a singular cause behind it, but how could they go from 3rd in the constructors in 2014 and 2015 to 10th in 2018.

Saying that the main reason is money, they found themselves in a position on the grid as the last independent team, they were battling in a field of big manufacturer teams with massive budgets and smaller teams that had paired up with the bigger forces.

If you really wanted to go back, you could go back to the 1998 Concorde Agreement where it was written that the teams would split just 23% of F1's revenue between the 12 of them, when previously it was 85%. Most teams during this time (1998 - 2007) either sold out or folded, it was too difficult to continue as a independent team, as they were virtually making the whole car themselves and only purchasing the engine.

In 2008 there was a financial crisis, and the team struggled with a lack of investment and funding, a lot of the F1 teams suffered during this time too, Honda pulled out of F1 - not related to Williams though.

2009 came along and some of the bigger teams started to adopt the struggling teams, money was still an issue at this time. The Red Bull Toro Rosso link already existed, but Mercedes paired up with Force India and later Ferrari and Sauber.

The costs for F1 continued to rise year after year, and teams had to keep investing money to try to remain competitive. There was always new materials, better facilities, new technologies that needed more and more cash injections, and there just wasn't necessarily that for Williams. Partly because Sir Frank didn't want to sell part of the team. There were investment companies interested, but the family wanted to continue running the team as they always had done.

By not being manufacturer-owned or with an own engine division Williams found itself betwixt and between: Larger than the B-Teams, yet smaller than the major teams, all of whom have wealthy owners, be they car brands or drinks companies. Thus Williams is neither A or B-Team, yet, crucially, carries all the overheads of the former while not having access to parent company funding (i.e Mercedes F1 getting money from the car manufacturer).

Williams found themselves in a position where they had no other option than to sign pay-drivers, however even they didn't necessarily have the same 'big money' sponsors than they once had. This therefore meant that even if they could make a good car, they wouldn't be regularly fighting where they wanted.

They had a bit of a rethink of how the team was run before the 2014 season, and this paid off, 2014 and 2015 were their strongest years since 2002 and 2003. However once again things started to decline in the following few years. Then they found themselves again at the bottom of the table, it's hard for a team at the bottom of the grid to get and retain sponsors just because the cars aren't seen as much on camera. Claire said around 2018 that there was a handful of issues within Williams and that it takes a long time to turn a team around in F1, its true, a team can fall massively if they aren't constantly improving but then getting back up the grid is never instantaneous.

Honestly they didn't have the money to continue competing at the front with the teams that have owners who can give massive cash injections, F1 isn't profitable, most teams are lucky to break even at the end of the season. In short Williams found themselves in a positive feedback loop, where if they struggled one year they wouldn't get much prize money and as such, wouldn't have the funds to invest in the car and as such would struggle again. Failure fueling more failure.

It's also rumoured that Claire had ideas on how to improve the team and get that much needed cash flow, without joining forces with a bigger team, but Frank wasn't a fan.

[parcoeurs]

Extremely fascinated by your wag AU tag 👀.

thanks bestie so am i.

okay lmao so this isn't an actual fic that'll ever be written but. i was talking to my friend about it who still hasn't finished dts season 3 unfortunately but it means that i've switched around ages and years etc. i promise this has the potential to be a fun and sexy time but there's just s o much background shit that needs to be discussed. tw for mentions of irl deaths etc:

but pierre & charles meeting when they're 5-6 (which is what i think charles actually says irl but someone said it might've been closer to when they were 10-11? regardless.) and charles' dad passes away when they're 9-10, and jules when they're 13-14 and charles quits racing then. (fyi i know that irl jules passed away first)

he thinks about quitting when his dad passes away but keeps going with help from jules. so when the accident etc happens, it's not even like an active decision he ponders. he just knows there's no way he'll race again.

and pierre's been with him throughout everything, his best friend who he can talk to when he can't bear looking at his own family. so he doesn't understand when pierre tells him he's going to keep racing. when charles had told him he was never going to get into a kart ever again, pierre had nodded, grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. important to note that they're barely teenagers rn so yes charles feels betrayed that pierre isn't feeling the same things he is and isn't choosing the same future for himself etc.

they have a huge fight, lots of crying, lots of dramatic teenage angst. but it ultimately ends with charles shutting pierre out of his life. which is easier said than done when it's your best friend whose family is super close with yours. but it works because pierre is off racing around the world and charles has done all he can to never have to think about that stuff.

so charles goes to school, is doing uni somewhere in europe. studies something generic like business or maybe if i'm feeling suuuuper indulgent i will have him major in environmental studies like moi <3 pointedly does not come to monaco during grand prix weekend or the week before or the week after.

and then anthoine passes away too. (they're 20-21 now)

they see each other again at the funeral but don't talk, they meet up afterwards. pierre breaking down in charles' arms, clutching at his back, telling him he was right. pierre should've quit, he can't do this anymore either. they haven't said a word to each other in 7 years but charles still knows pierre, and knows that this isn't actually what pierre wants. or what he should do. (charles vaguely knows pierre's in f1 but doesn't know he's with redbull, doesn't know redbull's the top team etc)

"you can still do this, you will," charles tells him.

"not without you again."

so then comes the challenge of mending their relationship while still working through the shared trauma, and the Layers of past trauma. and also just the general awkwardness that comes with a friendship breakup/makeup situation you know! they can't just act like nothing happened but would it be easier that way?

they start texting first, then they play fifa or cod together. (sometimes pierre's british friend lewis joins too.)

slowly slowly slowly, they become friends again and then inseparable too. maybe even closer than they were before and charles only now realizes how much he missed pierre. while pierre still can't believe he has charles back now, it's as good as he let himself imagine.

the part i'm unsure about is if i would want pierre's career trajectory to be the same or not. because i think the demotion adds SUCH a painful but interesting aspect to his ~storyline. but ultimately i think maybe he just doesn't get the second seat immediately. spends more years with toro rosso/alpha tauri before getting "called up" (sorry i have no idea what the proper terminology is haha ignore the nba/nhl terms).

he invites charles to his first race in the red bull and charles says no. immediately. pierre's quiet on the other side of the phone, internally thinking he messed this up somehow. he thought things were going well and he takes this as charles doesn't want to see him. but he knows there's a lot more that's stopping charles and he also knows charles will definitely pull back if pierre asks about the other stuff. so he moves right along, asking charles about school, the weather, and tries not to let it show in his voice that he misses his best friend and needs him too.

"i'm going to try to watch," charles says, after pierre's yawned goodnight through the phone and is waiting for him to hang up. because you know pierre's not going to hang up first.

"what?"

"the race. i'm going to try. goodnight!" mentally charles slams the phone shut but really he just smashes at the red button before shoving it under his bed and looking at his hands trying to get answers for what he just did.

his only relief is that he didn't promise pierre he would watch, just that he would try. couldn't even choke out a, "good luck." (insert long paragraph about charles letting pierre down or thinking he has).

he only watches qualifying. pierre p3. already knows on saturday that there's no way he can watch the actual race.

but on sunday when he's supposed to be going over his notes for his climate change science & policy course (yes.... i did it...) he finds himself with his heart in his mouth refreshing formula1 dot com. watches the random names move up and down while keeping his eyes on 10 - gasly. (starts shaking for a second when he sees pierre's name drop until the IN PIT sign comes up across his name. fellas the thing about triggers is-- anyways.)

the scariest part is that by the time he's scrolled through all of red bull's socials to look at pictures of pierre on the podium (he finished p2 sorry i know this truly does not matter), he's forgotten about the race. the anxiety sits small in the back of his throat, his happiness for pierre is bright and loud in front of him. charles sends him a message, asking him to call whenever he can and adds a blue & red heart emoji which feels like a Big Step. but basically pierre calls and acts like nothing has happened since the last time they talked. mentions the breakfast he had in detail as if he didn’t get a podium in his first race with red bull. finally with a big team. but charles embarrassingly realizes that maybe his text didn't exactly imply in literally any way whatsoever that he knows the results of the race and was trying to congratulate pierre with this call. charles probably feels so embarrassed at this point but somehow still can't manage to say anything about the race until the next day maybe.

maybe texts pierre, good job. or, you were great. or something about him and not the race. or maybe reposts a picture from red bull but not one of pierre in his car, pointedly. only one of him on the podium. and pierre probably reposts it with the squid emoji and/or my favourite sentence in the world, merci petit calamaro.

charles cries when he reads it.

not to be lazy now but [insert 10k words of them building their friendship. meeting up in monaco with both of their families. meeting in milan or london or paris idk where pierre would live. but he flies charles out. not on a private jet because charles flat out refused lol. not because he's an environmentally conscious king he's just too, embarrassed? overwhelmed? by pierre doing Things Like That for him. even though he wants it lol. like when he graduates he's soooo annoyed that pierre couldn't come celebrate immediately because it was race week. but when he comes home his apartment is filled with flowers (roses, his favourite) and balloons and a giant teddy bear as tall as charles. and he DOES post 12 instagram stories to go with the other 30 from his other friends congratulating him. so yeah charles goes through a lot of personal growth and therapy. to the point where he's watching pierre race again, and waiting for him to invite him to a race again!!! do not even think about actual dates i'm fucking begging you but the one he goes to is monza :))))]

ultimately charles' path to understand/accepting/moving on from, his trauma, happens once he has pierre back in his life. it's also encouraged by pierre, but it's also not entirely because of him. not sure how to word that but yeah. these things are happening at the same time but charles still has to go through them by himself.

pierre takes him on romantic dates all around the world and charles doesn't realize that's what they are. fully in his bestie vibes only mood while pining for pierre in a way he doesn't even quite understand. almost a self deprecating, jeez whoever gets to date pierre is going to be so lucky :/

fanpage on ig: met pierre's alleged bf he's so pretty and sweet, i complimented his shoes and he was so nice. charles reading that: i didnt know he was dating someone :( why wouldn't he tell me :( well at least someone complimented my shoes today :(

pierre doesn't necessarily think they're dating, but he does know charles doesn't quite realize what they're doing so he's just waiting for him to come to terms with it.

not to give this au 10 different subplots but yeah that miscommunication plot becomes our prize for surviving through the first part of this.

but yeah at the last race of the year, that pierre wins because i said so? charles finds him before he goes on to the podium, kisses his helmet. says i love you, i'm so proud of you.

THEN, finally, charles does become pierre's wag. we made it kids. we did it joe.

[anotherf1fangirl]

behind the wheel | lando 1.9

okay before the last part of point one, I just want to say a massive thank you! I took a small break from Tumblr because it wasn't fulfilling me with happiness as it once had but I had a few chapters written out so decided to post for once and didnt expect anyone to still want anymore of it so thank you sm x 

Adelaine’s POV

I fluffed up my hair for one last time before stepping out into the living room. Waiting for me was Jack.

“You look, incredible.” He gushed, holding out his hand for me to take.

“You also look rather incredible yourself, Mr Aitken.” He led me out of the apartment and down to the taxi that awaited outside. 

Tonight was the night of the premier of Drive to Survive. Everyone involved within was invited to the viewing. I’d chosen to take Jack as my plus one. The last of the F1 driver announcements and confirmations were being released today and it was an exciting moment for everyone. After today, the new season line up was being confirmed. 

I had decided to re-sign for another year. I wasn't 100% ready to move on up to F1 and I definitely wasn't prepared to move to a team I wasn't familiar with. I was enjoying F2 with Jack, Callum and Nyck and I feel like I’ve been in such a hurry to move on that I haven't given myself the time to appreciate and enjoy the sport I’m in.

The building came into sight, a long red carpet waiting. All of the sponsors were printed on to the boards behind it. A couple of drivers were waiting for photos while some more were being photographed. Of to the side were my mother, father and Alex. I headed over to the join them, gripping on to Jack’s hand to avoid getting lost in the jumble of people.

The past few months had been strange. Somebody in the paddock in Brazil had snapped a few photos, one of them being Lando and I. We hadn't spoken since but the fans had gone insane. It was a strange feeling and I wasn't too sure how I felt.

“Addy! Are you ready?” Alex smiled. I nodded quickly, joining the line with the others. We watched as drivers went by, having their photos taken before leaving the carpet. A lady waited by the side, taking names and giving directions.

“First of all, we need just Alex to go out by himself as he is the F1 driver.” She ushered him out as he made his way to stand in the centre. He turned to face different cameras, the same cheesy grin planted on his face.

“Ok, Adelaine. You’re to head out next. You are to remain out there after photos with Alex. You will then have photos as a family and then you will step to the side to have photos with Jack. Once Alex and your parents have left the carpet, Jack is to remain and have photos while you head to the centre for your own photos. Understood?” Before I could utter a word, I was hurried on to the carpet.

Thankfully, the photos didnt take long and as I made my way off of the carpet, I noticed George and Lando having their photos. I waited patiently for them both.

“Addy!” Lando smiled, wrapping me into a hug.

“You look very smart. You sure scrub up well.”

“As do you.” He pulled away, giving me a small smile before placing a hand on my lower back and ushering me into the screening room.

The producers and directors made their speeches and the episodes began to play. I sat between Jack and Lando with George one side of Jack and Alex the other side of Lando. The title of each episode appeared on screen as it transitioned between one another. As soon as Episode Ten, the final episode, came up; everybody straightened up. 

Drive to Survive was good but I grew impatient. I was fully aware that my main interview was in this episode. “The season has had it’s highs and low, especially for one driver more than others. Sebastian Vettel has dealt with a lot this season.” The screen paned to Seb, twitching in his seat.

“I love Formula One, I do. I wouldn't have spent years doing it if I didnt. But most of all, I love my family. I’m missing out on so many things happening because I’m training or racing. Hanna and I have a lot planned for the next year and I don't know if my heart can 100% be in it.” Seb’s voice trailed off to show more clips of him racing. Gasps filled the room as people looked around.

“I will be driving next year but my priority’s my family. This might be the last time you see me racing for a while.” 

Alex, George and Lando’s interviews rolled through as they looked back on their first year in Formula One. 

“Although these three drivers managed to bag a spot in this seasons Formula One, one special driver missed out on a space. Adelaine Albon, sister of Toro Rosso’s Alexander Albon, has had a lot to think about this season.” A few moments of Alex and I grid side flashed through the screen, my first hug after forgiving Lando played along with some more memories including the last race. 

The blue screen appeared, my body sat before it. The red jacket draped my body. A small smile cracked up on my face as I burst out giggling.

“Red looks good on you.” The interviewer spoke.

“Why thank you.”

“Is this Ferrari jacket, are you hinting at something?” As the words filled the speakers, I felt Lando tense up beside me.

I watched as I pulled my tongue between my teeth before bursting out laughing once more.

“It might be.” I straightened out my face before falling into a laugh once more. A couple of videos rolled through of my FIA F2 season and a few memories with the boys that weren't at a race track.

“Hi, my name’s Adelaine Albon and I’m an F2 driver for Campos Racing and I’m also the official reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari.” A smile spread across my face as the team behind the cameras all cheered, Seb and Charles running into the frame to wrap their arms around me as they began to sing. The footage panned out to the credits and the room fell dark.

It was official.

I was the new reserve driver for Ferrari.

[thisdaynews]

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel crashes as Valtteri Bottas top

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/abu-dhabi-grand-prix-sebastian-vettel-crashes-as-valtteri-bottas-top/

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel crashes as Valtteri Bottas top

By Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer at Yas Marina

Listen to second practice on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and the BBC Sport website from 12:55 GMT

Sebastian Vettel crashed his Ferrari late in first practice at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The German, who flew into Abu Dhabi late following the birth of his third child, spun at Turn 19 under the hotel circuit and hit the wall.

It damaged his wheel and suspension but Ferrari should repair the left-rear corner of the for the second session.

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas set the pace in what was a low-key and inconclusive session.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix first practice results

Vettel should not have made move – Leclerc

Vettel’s crash, which brought the session to a close a couple of minutes early, was caused when he caught the inside kerb a little too hard as he turned into the left-hander under the bridge that joins the two parts of the distinctive W hotel at the Yas Marina circuit.

The German was fourth fastest, 1.949 seconds slower than Bottas, whose best time was set on medium tyres at the start of a weekend at which the Finn knows he will start from the back because of a grid penalty for using too many engine parts following his failure at the last race in Brazil.

Bottas was 0.535 seconds quicker than Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in a session that was previously interrupted by a stoppage after Daniel Ricciardo’s Renault suffered engine failure.

Media playback is not supported on this device

Beating Vettel is a great challenge – Leclerc

The session was earlier red-flagged for 15 minutes while Ricciardo’s car was recovered from the last-corner run-off.

Lewis Hamilton was third fastest ahead of Red Bull’s Alexander Albon.

The first session in Abu Dhabi is often largely irrelevant in terms of giving a read on competitiveness because it is run in the early afternoon, whereas qualifying and race are at twilight and therefore have very different, much cooler, track conditions.

And that was especially the case this time, with Albon nearly 0.5secs off Hamilton, who was 0.6secs behind his team-mate, Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel a further 0.1secs behind and Haas driver Romain Grosjean sixth ahead of the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.

A number of teams were trying out new parts that are part of their development programme for 2020 – which will continue at the post-season Pirelli tyre test on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The second session, which starts at 17:00 local time (13:00 GMT), will be a much more accurate guide to how the teams shape up for this final race of the season.

Ricciardo’s engine failure – in a high-mileage power-unit that was due to be changed for Saturday anyway – further muddied the waters.

The Renault deposited a lot of oil at the final corner – and on Pierre Gasly’s closely following Toro Rosso – and cement dust was laid down to soak it up.

That meant the track was in worse condition for the final laps, when in any case most teams would usually have switched to higher fuel loads for race preparation.

Ricciardo pulled over with an oil leak

Read More

[upshotre]

Hamilton wins record sixth British GP, extends F1 lead

Lewis Hamilton made the most of a favourable safety car intervention on Sunday to claim a record sixth British Grand Prix victory at a packed Silverstone. The defending five-time world champion clocking fastest lap on his final lap to finish 25 seconds clear of Mercedes team-mate and nearest title rival Valtteri Bottas after an action-packed contest. The Briton moved 39 points clear of the Finn behind in the title race, but Bottas was unlucky with the timing of the safety car which effectively gave Hamilton a free pit stop. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was third. Pierre Gasly finished fourth ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen, whose race was compromised by a late collision when Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari drove into him, and Carlos Sainz of McLaren. It was Hamilton’s seventh win in 10 races this year and the 80th win of his career. He had shared the British Grand Prix record of wins, on five, with fellow-Briton Jim Clark and Frenchman Alain Prost. Daniel Ricciardo was seventh for Renault ahead of Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo, Daniil Kvyat in a Toro Rosso and Nico Hulkenberg in a Renault. “What a day,” said Hamilton. “To all the crowd, thank-you so much for coming out.” Hamilton, who stopped on his slow-down lap to collect a British ‘Union Jack’ flag, added: “I love you Silverstone. I appreciate everything and the opportunity to be a part of this. “I couldn’t have done this without these guys or without my team.” A glum Bottas said: “Congrats to Lewis…It wasn’t my day.” A much happier Leclerc said: “It’s probably the race I’ve enjoyed the most in my career.” The safety car was deployed when Antonio Giovinazzi spun into a gravel trap in his Alfa Romeo – gifting Hamilton a ‘free’ first, and only, pit stop. The luckless Bottas, on a two stop strategy, had already pitted before the incident. On an overcast and cool afternoon, Justin Whiting, the 12-year-old son of the late Charlie Whiting, the official Race Director who died suddenly in Melbourne in March, started the race. before a crowd of 141,000 at Silverstone. As the lights went out, the Mercedes pair pulled clear, Hamilton chasing Bottas throughout the first lap ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen with Vettel fifth. – Oozing confidence – By lap 10, the lead was three-tenths, Hamilton oozing confidence could not pass Bottas slithering to protect his lead. Behind them, Leclerc blocked attacks from Verstappen. But on lap 17, Bottas came in for a new set of mediums and Hamilton inherited the lead ahead of Vettel, the pair delaying their stops as long as possible. Then Giovinazzi beached his Alfa Romeo at Club. Hamilton took advantage and pitted for hards, followed by Vettel and Verstappen, making a second stop. Ferrari, reacting slowly, called in Leclerc, who emerged sixth behind Gasly and Verstappen. All this left Hamilton leading Bottas with Vettel third. Racing resumed on lap 23, the field, backed up by Hamilton, swarming like bees at the re-start. Bottas, on mediums, traded fastest laps with Hamilton, knowing he had to make a second stop. Verstappen, helped by quick thinking from Red Bull, rose to fourth when Gasly moved over on Hangar Straight and began his pursuit of Vettel. The Dutchman caught and passed him at Stowe only for the German to ram into the rear end of the 007-branded Red Bull, who had Bond actor Daniel Craig in their garage, both spinning into the gravel but surviving to re-join the fray. A stewards’ investigation followed, but both races were compromised. Leclerc rose to third and Gasly to fourth. Verstappen regained fifth while Vettel pitted for a new nose, fell to 17th and was then given a 10-seconds time penalty. With eight laps remaining, Hamilton was told to pit, but ignored the call, persuading Mercedes to bring in Bottas for softs, a tilt at fastest lap and a secure run to the flag. Read the full article

[wristwatchjournal]

The Petrolhead Corner – Busted! Caught Cheating at Racing – Part 3

Here it is, the bonus chapter in this diptych-turned-tryptic Petrolhead Corner episode covering cheaters and frauds in racing. So far we’ve seen cheating with fuel capacity, illegal ballast in water-tanks, turbocharging, bribery and even espionage. For this final chapter, we once again uncover the facts of one the most infamous F1 scandals, and a story on Audi illegally swapping parts between cars during a World Rally Championship stage. 

Sporting events and cheating often go hand-in-hand; the desire to win is so strong that it can blur ethical considerations. Doping scandals in cycling, biting down on your opponent’s ear during a boxing match, overlooking the hands ball rule during a football match or, as we’ve now seen, tampering with the rules in racing, cheating will always be part of a competitive environment. The question is, do you manage to get away with it or end up caught red-handed?

Rally – swapping parts between cars

The art of rally racing is to go as fast as possible in extreme conditions and varying terrains. Whether it’s tarmac, snow, gravel or rocky roads, the goal remains the same; put in faster times than your rivals, and win! The stresses on the car vary from stage to stage and surface to surface, resulting in a car breaking down regularly as it is pushed to the limit. This is part of the sport and very much a factor to be reckoned with every single stage of the race.

The beast, the Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 – source: Reinhold Möller for Wikimedia

During the mid-1980s, the Audi team dominated the scene after introducing its all-wheel-drive “Quattro” cars in Group B rallying. The Quattro became an absolute legend in all guises, from the Audi Sport Quattro A2 Group B to the wild winged monsters like the Audi Sport Quattro S1 and S1 ‘Pikes Peak’. Prior to Audi’s efforts with all-wheel-drive, the rally world was dominated by rear-wheel-drive cars. Subsequently, all manufacturers switched to all-wheel drive in an attempt to keep up with and beat Audi. Behind the wheel of the German cars were drivers like Hannu Mikkola, Stig Blomqvist, Walter Rhörl and one female driver, Michèle Mouton.

Michèle Mouton was able to bring the fight to the boys and even compete for the occasional win. In 1985 she competed in the Rallye Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in Africa as part of the World Rally Championship for drivers (not manufacturers) that year. Rally events in Africa were always extra gruelling on cars due to the extreme conditions, as evidenced by the 1972 Rallye Côte d’Ivoire, where 45 cars started and none managed to reach the finish line.

After one of the stages, Michèle Mouton suffered a technical issue with her Audi Sport Quattro S1 and her #2 car was seen belching white smoke. Despite this, she lined up for the next stage with another Audi Quattro following. Michèle Mouton’s #2 car abandoned the route to assess if the issue could be fixed, something that was allowed to a certain extent at the time. The #11 support car joined her, and eventually, Michèle managed to get her car going, seemingly running like clockwork again. Audi stated that a faulty oil pump was the culprit, which was swapped from the #11 support car. Suspicions rose and several of Audi’s competitors believed the team had swapped every single body panel between the two cars to send off Michèle Mouton in the healthy #11 car, now dressed as her own #2 car. 

Even though this was never proven, and Audi was never penalised or even formally investigated, images from the event following the miraculous comeback revealed a different windshield (something to do with the anti-fog system going off according to Audi) and even hood-mounted fog lights that seem to jump between the two cars! Michèle eventually withdrew from the rally as she claimed her car was falling apart and deemed it unsafe to continue. This was another surprise as her original #2 car featured a specially strengthened chassis which the #11 car didn’t. 

Petrolicious included it in its “6 Unbelievable Rule-Bending Stories from Rally” article.

Formula 1 – Crashing on purpose, Senna vs. Prost

When cars take corners at breakneck speed, racing only inches from each other, crashes are inevitable. And yes, Formula 1 has had its fair share of horrific crashes, freak mishaps, and sadly even lethal accidents over the years. But Formula 1 has also seen drivers crashing on purpose, whether on one’s own or deliberately turning into a rival driver. 

The most famous example perhaps is the clash between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost during the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka in 1989 and 1990. In 1989 the two men were teammates, both contenders for the title. During that season the relationship between the two rivals turned sour, which culminated in a crash in the closing stages of the Japanese Grand Prix. Senna attempted a late overtake, surprising Prost. Prost turned in to the chicane, the two men collided and came to a stop. Prost immediately got out but Senna urged marshals to push-start his car and continue the race. After the race, Senna would be disqualified for missing the chicane which granted Prost the championship.

A year later, with Alain Prost now at Ferrari and the two men competing for the title once again, it was déjà vu at Suzuka. Senna was leading the championship and could clinch it at the Japanese Grand Prix if his title rival failed to score any points. In interviews leading up to the race, Senna mentioned that he wouldn’t yield if Prost attempted an overtake. Senna put his car in pole position, with Prost lining up beside him in second. At the start, despite being in pole, Prost had the upper hand and jumped into the lead. Senna would have none of it and rammed the Frenchman. Both men spun off, ended up in the gravel and were out. Senna kept his word and as such became the 1990 driver’s champion. Later Senna admitted that the way the 1989 and 1990 seasons ended tarnished both titles. Eventually, both men buried the hatchet after finishing on the podium together at the 1993 South African Grand Prix.

Formula 1 – Crashing on purpose, Schumacher vs. the Williams team

Fast-forward a few years and we have similar incidents between Michael Schumacher on one end, and Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve on the other. During the 1994 season title hunt, both Damon Hill, driving for Williams, and Michael Schumacher in the Benetton were title-candidates. At the season finale in Adelaide, Australia, the German driver was in the lead with just a single point over Damon Hill. Both men took off at the start and left pole position man Nigel Mansell in the second Williams behind. 

Hill shadowed Schumacher for the first half of the race until the German driver made a rare error and opened the door. Damon Hill immediately took the opportunity and tried to pass Schumacher on the inside in one of the slower 90-degree corners the Aussie track is known for. Schumacher turned in regardless, and hit his rival, ended up almost flipping his Benetton and crashing out in the process. Damon Hill could venture on but his car seemed too badly damaged and he also had to give up. The crash was labelled as a racing incident and thus Michael Schumacher had his first-ever title in yet another very tumultuous and sadly tragic season (both Ayrton Senna and Ronald Ratzenberger had fatal crashes during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix weekend at the Imola track). Some drivers and insiders claim that Schumacher’s move was a deliberate one, to take out his rival or at least not let him past in the most aggressive way possible. Since he wasn’t penalised for it, it isn’t technically cheating but still a remarkable incident.

To make Schumacher’s case a little worse, and I am by no means chastising him for his actions as the man is truly an F1 legend, he pulled the same trick on another championship rival three years later. This time around, the tables were turned and Schumacher was the trailing man behind Villeneuve in the championship standings. The title was up for grabs by both men in the final Grand Prix of the year, at Jerez (Spain). Leading Villeneuve for most of the race, Schumacher seemed in control. Three quarters into the race he began to struggle and Villeneuve was ready to pounce. Prior to the race, the Williams team, including Villeneuve himself, reminded everyone about the clash at the 1994 season finale in a not so subtle way. When Villeneuve finally found a gap and sent his Williams to the inside of Schumacher’s Ferrari, disaster struck yet again, as the German turned into Villeneuve, damaging both cars. Schumacher ended up in the gravel and was out. Villeneuve limped on with a damaged car but was able to finish the race, yielding to the McLaren boys and crossing the line in third place, enough to win the championship.

Formula 1 – Crashing on purpose, Renault’s “master” plan

The most recent and renowned incident, where a team thought it could manipulate the outcome of a race by deliberately crashing one of its cars, took place during the 2008 Singaporean Grand Prix. In 2008 the Renault team was struggling for wins as Ferrari and McLaren dominated the season. The entire season was split between Ferrari with 8 wins, McLaren with 6 wins, Toro Rosso winning at a very wet Monza, BMW-Sauber picking up a win, and surprise back-to-back wins for Renault at Singapore and Japan.

The Singapore track is the stage of one of the biggest scandals in Formula 1’s history, even eclipsing the 2007 Spygate scandal we covered last week. The biggest difference is the fact that the personal safety of one of the drivers was put at risk. During qualifying, Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet Jr. got their Renault cars ranked in a disappointing 15th and 16th place. With little fuel in his car and in an attempt to make up a few places in the opening stint of the race, Alonso was the first to pit. Pitting on lap 12, he rejoined the race somewhere at the back of the pack. Three laps later, his teammate Piquet crashed his car into a wall. Since Singapore is a street circuit if you crash anywhere you pretty much end up on the track at all times. As unfortunate as his crash was, Nelson Piquet Jr. managed to crash in a place where there was no crane readily available, so clearing the track of debris would take a while. A safety-car period saw most drivers pitting for tyres and fuel and ending up behind Alonso as he had already pitted. 

After regaining the lead in the later stage of the race, Alonso eventually managed to win. The misfortune of his teammate helped him to victory, and a few eyebrows were raised but the season went on without too much of a fuss.

A year later, after the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, Nelson Piquet Jr. was sacked by Renault. Furious with this decision, especially as it was in the middle of the season with no chance of scoring a seat with another team, Piquet Jr. blew the whistle on the 2008 Singaporean win. He claimed he was ordered to crash his car in that spot on purpose. After weeks of speculation throughout the paddock, Renault was officially charged with conspiracy and cheating. Vigorously denying all claims at first, just days before the final hearing the team made a statement not contesting the outcome of the procedures and announcing that managing director Flavio Briatore and executive director of engineering Pat Symonds had both quit.

Renault was eventually disqualified from F1 and was banned from competition for two years. Fernando Alonso kept his race win as he had no part in all this and was just a bystander. Briatore was banned indefinitely while Symonds received a five-year ban. Although both sentences were eventually overturned, the men had already agreed not to work in Formula 1 ever again as part of a later settlement with the FIA.

The post The Petrolhead Corner – Busted! Caught Cheating at Racing – Part 3 appeared first on Wristwatch Journal.

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[hviral]

Hamilton denies Verstappen in thrilling Hungarian

Lewis Hamilton regained the momentum in the world championship with a memorable strategic victory on Sunday when he overcame young rival Max Verstappen with three laps to go in a tense Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 34-year-old defending five-time world champion started third on the grid in his Mercedes and, after stalking the 21-year-old Dutch tyro for most of a fascinating tactical contest swept into the lead on lap 67 of a stirring 70-lap contest.

It was Hamilton’s record seventh win in Hungary, his eighth this year and the 81st of his career, wrecking Red Bull’s hopes of turning Verstappen’s maiden pole position into victory, and increased his lead in the title race to 62 points before the sport’s European summer break.

Verstappen, who led most of the race before his tyres faded, had no time to match Hamilton’s tactics when the Briton made his second stop, came home 17.796 seconds behind in second and clocked a record race fastest lap for the Hungaroring after a late pit-stop.

Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel was third for Ferrari ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz of McLaren and Pierre Gasly in the second Red Bull.

Kimi Raikkonen was seventh for Alfa Romeo ahead of Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas who had been forced into an early pit-stop after a first lap incident.

British rookie Lando Norris was ninth in the second Mercedes and Alex Albon 10th for Toro Rosso.

“What a drive, what a strategy,” said Hamilton’s race engineer Peter Bonnington. “Only you could make that work today.”

Mercedes matched Red Bull’s strategy until gambling with a late additional pit-stop that left Hamilton with 20 laps to make up a 20-second deficit on fresh tyres –- a move that worked as Verstappen’s tyres faded away. “They rolled the dice and it worked for them, unfortunately,” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told Verstappen. “But you drove your heart out.”

‘I’m losing grip’ –

A week after his forlorn error-riddled exit from last weekend’s tumultuous German Grand Prix, won by Verstappen, Hamilton had bounced back in style.

“It feels like a new win for us,” he said. “I didn’t know if I could do it and I am sorry I doubted our strategy -– it was brilliant.”

A crestfallen Verstappen admitted: “We just weren’t fast enough. I tried everything I could to keep the tyres alive, but I couldn’t.”

Hamilton had earned a 1,000-euro fine for Mercedes for speeding in the pit lane before the start on a hotter-than-expected afternoon with an air temperature of 26 degrees Celsius.

Verstappen pulled clear with some aplomb as the two Mercedes’ planned pincer movement failed.

Bottas, from second, had a poor start, losing position to Hamilton who squeezed through at Turn Three.

The luckless Finn was then clipped by Leclerc’s Ferrari and damaged his front wing. This cost him critical down-force as he tumbled through the field.

This forced him to pit after six laps for a new nose and a set of hard-compound tyres. He re-joined in last place, 49 seconds adrift.

The leading duo pulled away inexorably. By lap 11, Leclerc was adrift by nearly 11 seconds and it was clear that the inter-generational battle, between the old master and his potential successor, the Dutch young pretender, was the main, if not only, event.

Separated by two seconds, it seemed they were merely jabbing, or sparring and waiting for their moment of close engagement to arrive. Behind them, Bottas, whose future is in doubt, climbed to 14th while the Toro Rossos entertained with a wheel-to-wheel tussle.

Hamilton trimmed the lead to 1.3 seconds and then dummied to pit on lap 22, but stayed out to avoid resuming amid the Ferraris.

“I’m losing a lot of grip,” Verstappen complained in a message he repeated rather testily.

Hamilton pitted after 31 laps, stopped for four seconds and resumed second, 5.5 seconds behind.

By lap 33, he had reduced it to 2.8. Vettel, in third, was 20 seconds adrift as the Englishman smashed the gap and attacked with venom. Verstappen and Red Bull appeared caught napping.

Then, on lap 49, Hamilton pitted again, taking mediums in 2.4 seconds. He re-joined second, 21 seconds adrift, Mercedes’ tactic leaving Red Bull without time to respond.

With 12 laps to go, the gap was 14 seconds as Hamilton set successive race lap records, slashing the Dutchman’s lead on his way to victory.

The post Hamilton denies Verstappen in thrilling Hungarian appeared first on HviRAL.

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[race-week]

What makes a Future World Champion?

An analysis into Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen

I recently got an ask regarding about what makes a “future world champion” and honestly this phrase is thrown around a lot by F1 media in regards to the younger generation of drivers. Does it hold any substance, it’s hard to tell - we’ve had a lot of really talented younger drivers on the grid for the last few years and I honestly think that for most of them (if things fall their way) they could be World Champions at some point.

This question though is in specific regards to the extra special drivers, the ones who would go on to win multiple World Championships, can you really tell at this point and what characteristics do they have that set them apart from so early on in their F1 career.

In the original ask it was Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc who were mentioned as potential multiple time Championship winners, personally I’d usually include George Russell in this group, but until we get some clear evidence of what he can do in a decently competitive car I’m going to focus on Max and Charles.

This is going to be really long so I’m warning you here

Usually one of the first things people look at when touting which drivers to be future talents is their junior racing career, through karting and into single seaters. Max didn’t have a typical single seater career, only contesting one year in 2014 where he finished 3rd in the Florida Winter Series and in FIA European Formula 3 Championship (where he was beaten by Fuoco and Latifi in FWS and Ocon and Blomqvist in European F3.) He also competed in the Macau Grand Prix that year finishing 7th and he won the Zandvoort Masters. After that it was deemed that he was ready for F1.

There’s more to talk about with Charles’ junior career; he came 2nd in the 2014 Formula Renault 2.0 Alps (behind Nyck De Vries and ahead of George Russell in 4th,) came 4th in the 2015 FIA European F3 (which was won by Felix Rosenqvist, but Charles won the rookie championship), and came 2nd in that years Macau GP (again behind Rosenqvist) before winning the 2016 GP3 championship and the 2017 F2 Championship. In all of his junior career Charles never finished a championship outside of the top 4 (oftentimes winning or being second.)

Success in the junior series, isn’t always the best benchmark for success in F1 but both of the junior programmes that they belonged to thought that they were ready for F1 in 2015 and 2018 respectively.

So Max joined Toro Rosso for the 2015 season partnered alongside fellow rookie Carlos Sainz, he finished the championship that year 12th with 10 points finishes and 49 points, to Carlos’ 18 points and a 15th place in the drivers. Most notably Max achieved two fourth place finishes that year, one in Hungary and one in COTA, both pretty challenging tracks.

Charles debuted in 2018 alongside Marcus Ericsson at Sauber, he also outscored his teammate in his debut season (except this time his teammate was an experienced driver.) He finished the championship in 13th also with 10 points finishes totaling 39 points, whilst Marcus was in 17th with just 9 points.

Both Max and Charles’ rookie performances obviously rocked the boat at the parent teams as they were both moved up into the main teams during their second season (Charles for the start and Max a few races in.)

This was definitely when they both got to shine even more so, both achieving at least one win as well as many podiums and they both showed that they could perform under pressure.

However what stands out most to me as to why they are likely to win multiple world championships is their ability to adapt their driving style to suit the car, you see it in drivers like Lewis and Fernando where they are able to adapt how they do things to suit the car and be able to push the car to its absolute limits.

You saw it with Max in Spain in 2016, his first time in the Red Bull, he got in the car and he won the race, yes he was helped by the Mercedes taking each other out but even still P3 in a car you haven’t driven properly, before is impressive and how he kept the Ferrari’s behind him was astonishing. He definitely developed a certain name for himself over the years as an aggressive driver, getting into a fair few avoidable incidents.

I don’t think Charles’ best year is 2019 with his wins and poles I think it was 2020 as I really think that having that dodgy Ferrari really helped him to grow as a driver and become stronger, yes he had some stupid crashes because he was driving on the limit but they were important to let him figure out the limit of the car and he still managed to pull some incredible results out of it.

So what makes a future multiple time World Champion; a few things, a decent junior career, an impressive rookie year, something that sets you apart (Max’s driving style, Charles’ qualifying laps), and most of all adaptability.

[torentialtribute]

Alexander Albon spins out as Lewis Hamilton and Co continue to assess cars in F1 winter testing 

Alexander Albon turns off during opening round the Lewis Hamilton and Co continue to judge cars for the next season in F1 winter tests

It was a chilly morning and the lack of warmth in the tires might have given him

Albon & # 39; s car is recovered in the pit and the Thai-British driver continued

Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton worked on aerobics with new W10

Will Griffee for Mailonline

Published: 10:35 GMT, February 19, 2019 | Updated: 10:38 GMT, February 19, 2019

Alexander Albon failed to join a round, as he drove the second day of the winter test in the F1.

The Thai-British driver may have underestimated the temperature of his tires on a cold morning at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and his car had to be removed from the pits.

There was a delay when a tow truck was called on the side of the track and the car was lifted.

Alexander Albon collapsed in the first round on the second day of the F1 winter test

Albon was not the only one in the rollout. Daniel Ricciardo was in the gravel after losing part of his rear wing.

Without doubt, Renault engineers will desperately figure out what caused such an accident, but this is the time to make mistakes.

Lewis Hamilton was able to investigate and analyze a number of laps in the Mercedes garage.

When he drove in his new W10, the team of the world champion tweeted that they were doing typical aero-tests.

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